Chapter 13 Around the Table
For the longest time no one spoke, Robb just sat there a little dumbfounded at all that had been dropped on him. His mother Catelyn was in even bigger shock but not by much, she was eyeing Jon who sat across from her on Daenerys right. That position spoke highly of him, since the one who sat to the right of the ruler was considered the higher ranking official. Considering Jon was going to be King Consort it made sense.
"I understand that this is a lot to consider." stated Daenerys as she leaned back in her chair, however her laic eyes still seemed to glow in the torch light. "Feel free to return to your camp and discuss with your Lords."
"Thank you." said Robb as he went to stand up only to have Daenerys raise her hand a sign that she wasn't finished. Robb eyed her, did she really think she could stop him, he was a King the equal to her as Queen.
"Before you leave, I would like to offer an invitation to you and whomever else you see fit to join us for dinner." offered Daenerys "A less formal talk is required."
"We will consider it." Said Catelyn as she stood up and looked at Arya and Jon, she didn't know what to say to either of them most of all Jon. Daenerys nodded her accepting of the answer.
"If you join us, we will eat at sundown." stated Daenerys as she rose from her chair. A few seconds later everyone else rose as well. She extended her hand toward Robb who waited for a moment before shaking it.
Robb looked at Daenerys for a moment before eyeing Jon and his sister before leaving the tent. He was quickly followed by the rest of his council and a few moments later the sound of horses hooves could be heard.
"Well, that went as well as I expected." stated Arya
"Aye." Confirmed Royce as he prepared to leave.
"Sorry Lord Royce but Lord Stark and the others have brought news from Winterfell." Announced Daenerys as she looked at the men gathered around her, the only women in the room beside herself was Arya. "I am afraid we aren't done yet."
"I understand my Queen." said Royce
"Lord Stark would you get the maps." Said Daenerys as Jon headed to a cabinet and quickly found a map of the North and then maps of everything North of King's Landing. Jon quickly placed down weights hold down the maps and then took out markers. He placed two wooden dragons, a horse head statue as well as Manderly Merman and a few Falcon of House Ayrnn to mark the forces at the Twins. Across from them he placed multiple wooden wolves showing the forces of house Stark under Robb.
While Jon was doing this Ser Jaime Lannister had taken multiple Lannister's and Tyrell markers and placed them around King's Landing and another grouping of Lannister's Lions at the Lannistport where a new army was being prepared. While they waited, two more Vale Lords and three Manderly Knights entered the tent having been summoned to take part in the meeting.
"What news of the Vale?" inquired Royce as he looked toward his homeland.
"Nothing good, my Lord." announced Daenerys as she handed Lord Royce the letter from Varys before looking at the two Vale Lords and three Manderly Knights. "Reports from Lord Varys contacts within the Vale is that the disappearance of so many Lords, Knights and men at arms has caused panic and confusion."
"What is Lady Lysa Arryn doing?" inquired Lord Royce, as he looked up from the letter before he could get to that point.
"Nothing." answered Daenerys shaking her head. "She has left for King's Landing after learning that Lord Baelish was going to remain in King's Landing as Master of Coin after Lord Tyrion disappeared. She took her son with her and appointed no one to rule while she was gone. Therefor there is no one controlling the Vale. There are reports of riots being forced down in Gulltown and other villages, wide spread religious fear and a breakdown of order."
"Foolish woman." Cursed Lord Royce as he balled his free hand into a fist and slammed it into the table. "Putting her love for a man like Little Finger before her people."
Daenerys and Jon shifted a bit at the comment by Lord Royce about putting love before duty but they let it go. They knew some could say the same thing about them, that if Daenerys really wanted to put the Realm together she wouldn't give her hand in marriage to Jon who while a newly revealed Targaryen wasn't a King like he used to be. She would instead offer her hand to Joffrey or Ser Loras Tyrell and unite the Kingdoms, however everyone knew that wasn't going to happen.
"Some Septons and Septas are proclaiming it a sign of the end of the world and that the Seven are coming to walk among their children again." stated Daenerys "We need to stop this at once, restore order."
"Agree." confirmed Lord Royce as he looked down at the large map which had been spread out over the table. "To get to the Bloody Gate from here, is a three-day ride to the Bloody Gate and once we get to the Eyrie then we can regain control."
"You and the Vale Forces leave at dawn." ordered Daenerys. "Make sure all your men have good meals tonight, the Twins still has a large amount of food store we will use them."
Lord Royce nodded his heads in agreement, he knew that while they would want to leave at once but all of them knew that it took many hours to prepare for a proper march and riding at night was something none of them wanted to attempt, so a morning march would be best. They could spend the rest of the day prepare to move and ride out on a full stomach in the morning.
"What about the rest of our forces in White Harbor?" inquired Royce, he was without question the most experienced Military commander they had here, after him came Ser Jaime Lannister and then Jon or one of the Knights. Either way Lord Royce had years of experience compared to them.
"They left White Harbor by ship on the morning tide yesterday, if the winds where good they should land in Coldwater on the Fingers by nightfall today or morning tomorrow." explained Jon as he placed markers down on the bite by the fingers. "Between your Force Lord Royce and the rest of the Vale forces it shouldn't be hard to restore order to the Vale."
"Agreed." confirmed Lord Royce as he studied the map. "We will need to take the Bloody Gate and then the Eyri, once there we can send ravens and the Lords and Ladies who didn't come back with us will fall in line."
"Who is remaining here?" inquired a Manderly Knight
"The Manderly forces along with Dothraki." stated Daenerys before looking back at Royce "I don't believe that the people of the Vale will react kindly to the Dothraki."
"No." agreed one of the Vale Knights
"And we can't wait for my cousin to agree to bend the knee, you will have to ride alone for the moment." added Jon
"But you will not be alone for long, tomorrow Lord Stark and I will fly down to King's Landing and Ser Jaime will deliver our terms for their surrender." stated Daenerys as Ser Jaime shifted a bit, he had been wondering why he was down in the South again and now he knew. "I don't expect them to accept it but we can't hide now and might as well make the biggest statement to the Lords and Ladies gathered at King's Landing for the upcoming wedding. Once we finished that, Lord Stark will fly up to join with the rest of the Vale forces and I will join your forces before you reach the bloody gate, I wish to return to Winterfell to speak to the rest of the Council. Between us we shouldn't have an issues getting the Vale back in order."
"I am concerned about Lord Robb." Said a Manderly Knight. The Knight was clearly concerned and thinking about how to word what he was about to say so that he didn't offend anyone. "No offense, My Queen and Lord Stark but he hasn't bent the knee yet and…"
"And you are right." Reassured Jon as he put the Knight's concerns to bed. "I am concerned about him and what he may do as well. As for holding this position against him if it should come to it, the Forces of White Harbor and the Dothraki can hold him."
"Aye, but the castle isn't fully repaired if they push hard enough, they could take us in time." stated the Manderly Knight.
"Grey Worm, the Master of War is coming down from Torren Square with over 4,000 Unsullied." Announced Jon as he placed a dragon marker on the table just south of Moat Cailin. "He leaf Torren Square over 2 days ago, on foot he should be just past Moat Cailin."
"And just over a Days March from here." stated the Manderly Knight as he placed his hand under his chin and smiled. It was common knowledge about the legendary stand of the 3,000 Unsullied outside the gates of Qohor head off 18 charges 20,000 Dothraki. With 4,000 Unsullied positioned on the bridge, they would be in perfect position. "With them we could hold the Twins against anything short of a Dragon."
"Knowing Grey Worm and the Unsullied I would put them less than a day away." countered Daenerys "I have seen how fast they march during our conquest of the Bay of Dragons, formally, well now again Slavery's Bay."
"Either way we can't wait for them to arrive the Vale needs to be brought back into order." Stated Daenerys as she put her hands behind her back before eyeing everyone around the table. "The Vale Knights will leave in the morning and with luck Lord Robb Stark will either bend the knee or pull back."
"Worse case, we can hold them off until the Unsullied arrive." stated the same Manderly Knight, holding a castle for a day or two was easy enough and when the defenders knew that aid was quickly approaching.
"Good." Stated Daenerys as she looked at all the men gathered around the table. "We have other good news out of the North, almost entire North has bent the knee or has been captured. The only exception being Bear Island and Skagos."
The two large islands located off the western and eastern shores of the North was out of their reach at the moment. They could fly their dragons up to Bear Island in the Bay of Ice or Skagos in the Bay of Seals but the bulk of the forces of house Mormont was currently with Robb and the three small houses on Skagos while officially part of the North had more relationships with the Free Folk. They were unlikely to do anything against them for the moment, but they would just like Bear Island have to be brought into the fold.
"Lord Roddick Forester and the Northern Horse are currently clearing out the Iron Born from the Stony Shore." added Deanarys as she placed more markers down. "Ser Jorah Mormont has taken the Dreadfort and Last Hearth. The Karhold has surrendered and Lord Harald Karstark has bent the knee and accepted his niece Lady Alys now rules Karhold."
There where nods around the table, Lady Alys Karstark was one of maybe a dozen high born ladies to make it through the battle of Winterfell, most of her men didn't make it. Lady Alys had been talked out of leading her men herself like Lady Lynna Mormont but she was instead in the crypts of Winterfell.
"And there is other good news about her, she will be marrying Sigorn Magnar of Thenn." Added Jon as the others looked at him slightly confused. "The Thenns are a group of Free Folk."
"Aren't they the cannibals?" inquired Royce, he had heard of the Thenns when he brought his youngest son to the wall years ago.
"Yes and no." admitted Jon as he went on to explain. "There are two groups of Thenns, the Thenns of the Mountains and the Thenns of the Vale. The mountain Thenns are the cannibals and those are the ones you likely heard of. The Thenns of the Vale have Lords and laws, they forge bronze and grow crops and are more in common with us then almost every other free folk."
Jon then turned to Daeneys and bowed his head a bit.
"He and his people will bend the knee to you, my Queen. Lady Sansa is already working out where to place a keep for House Thenn and the people there. Once his people are settled, the Magnar will officially bend the knee to you and provide both men and spearwives to fight wherever needed." Announced Jon "Currently she is thinking of taking some of the Lands of the New Gift, and giving it to this new house. With your permission of course."
"How many?" inquired Royce
"Over 7,000 of his people are with Mance." answered Jon, as Royce smiled at the numbers. "But most of them are not warriors or spearwives, they are families, farmers, craftsman and the like. Most of Mances forces are like that, there is almost a hundred thousand of free folk but most are not fighters."
Jon could see how the Knights around the table eyes widened at the idea of almost a hundred thousand wildlings as they called them. He would have thought the same before he spent time with the free folk, only a handful of people where the deadly ax wielding warriors that had experienced, those where the raiders who went south to collect items they couldn't get North of the Wall. The bulk of the people North of the Wall where not that different then the people in the North. They where farmers, hunters and shepherds who had more in common with the common folk south of the wall then the southern commoners had with the high lords.
"Where will we place all these people?" inquired Royce
"The Gift and the New Gift are almost totally abounded and there is more than enough land for them." Explained Jon, not adding that reason the two stretches of land provided to keep the Night's Watch going was empty was because of all the raiders done by the Free Folk which were about to call the place homes.
"If only we could get all of the free folk marching with King Mance to bend the knee to our Queen." Stated Royce "Right now our opponents have many more people than we do."
"Aye, but our bargen with the King Beyond the Wall is that they do not have to bend the knee and that they only have to fight against the White Walkers when they come." stated Daenerys, she wouldn't admit it out load here but she was thinking about taking away the New Gift and giving it to the Free Folk in return for them bending the knee. However giving away Northern Land to Free Folk a historical enemy of the North would look bad for a Southern Queen to do, but if a Wardeness of the North did it, the visuals looked better.
"There is some hope, the Thenns have close relationships with the Giants, it is possible that we can win them over to bend the knee to us as well." explained Jon as he looked at Daenerys and Lord Royce and grinned "Imagine how those Southern Knights would react to hundreds of Giants riding Mammoths into battle?"
"Hundreds?" inquired Royce
"Over 300 Mammoths where with Mance Rayder and almost a thousand giants when I marched with them years ago, between Stannis' attacked at Castle Black and the massacred at Hard Home by the Walkers only one remained and he died outside of Winterfell. He busted through the gate by himself after taking multiple wounds." Explained Jon "All of them are still alive at the moment."
"What of the Walkers?" inquired Ser Jaime
"That is another concern…they aren't moving yet." announced Jon "No idea what they are up to but they are up something. Thanks to Lord Reed and his Lady Wife we have also made contact with the Green Men on the Isle of Faces, they claim it is the heart of the Weirwood network and it is possible to learn things there that one can't learn anywhere else. They want Bran to come to them, I left it in his hands to decide if he wants to go our not. Lord Tyrion is also on his way back to Winterfell from the wall, and he brings with him not only Measter Aemon to join the council but coming out of the North is half dozen Children of the Forest."
That caused Lord Royce and other Knights eyes to widen, none of them had seen any the children of the forest. Only Jon had seen them before and he had only seen one of them, now a dozen of them where heading toward Winterfell.
"Also, my Uncle Brandon is coming down." Added Jon before pausing a bit. "He is wight, but a wight raised by the children and not under the control of the Night King, he saved me North of the Wall in our own time. With luck he can aid us in convincing Robb and Lady Stark of the threat of the undead."
"Hopefully, we need to unite the South and then prepare for the Walkers, they are up to something and we need to be ready for them." Stated Daenerys, the fact that the Night King wasn't making the moves they expected concerned her, if he really wanted the Night King could wait them all out. Bran said he wouldn't do that, he wanted revenge but if Night King waited, he could attack them when they were divided again and not prepared for him. Or is expecting them to come North again, to give him another shot at a Dragon. There were just many options with him, but to defeat him one thing was clear. They needed to unite the South. "We failed last time; we can't fail this time."
"We will not." Stated Jon as there where nods around the table.
"Good, Lord Royce, Lord Stark, Lady Arya Stark and Ser Jaime I need to speak to you alone everyone else get some rest and get ready." ordered Daenerys as the room began to empty out, when it was empty the three of them relaxed a bit.
"We have gotten no word from Stannis or anyone in the South yet, however given how Lord Robb Stark reacted we can assume they didn't believe us either." Stated Daenerys, this was a more small council meeting and while not on council, Arya had been involved in almost every small council meeting and Jon as King Consort wouldn't hold an official seat on the Council but his voice carried a lot of weight.
"A likely assumption." confirmed Jon as he studied the map, it had all the known location of Joffrey's, Robb's and Stannis forces as well as their own. The bulk of Robb's forces where across from them at the moment but he had forces holding key crossings and keeps. The issue was they didn't know if Roose Bolton who was commanding the rear guard had turned his banners yet. If he had Robb was in worse position then before, because House Bolton controlled Harrenhal, the Inner at the crossroads and the Ruby Forje, all three key positions. A horrifying idea entered his mind as he studied the map more. "If Robb should bend the knee to King Joffrey we would be in trouble."
"I don't think he would." stated Arya
"Me neither but if he did we would be in trouble." Stated Jon "We would win in the end, the Dragons playing a major role in that but it would cost thousands of lives and in the end we would lose when the Night King came down from the North."
"Agreed." confirmed Lord Royce "And no offense Lord Stark, your relationship with your Aunt is a major issue, while I don't see her pushing to bend the knee to the boy who ordered the execution of her husband she could hold back him joining us which would prolonged the war."
"We need to convince her." Stated Daenerys
"No…" stated Jon as everyone looked at him. "We need to separate her from Robb, if we do that we can get him alone and convince him without her in the way."
"Either way would work." stated Royce "But how?"
"She loves her children." Said Jaime softly, Catelyn Stark was much like Cercei in that way so was a lot of mothers. "She loves her children…lets get her to her children…bring her to Winterfell. If she is in Winterfell with Lady Sansa Stark, Bran and Rickon she would be with three of her five children."
"Bran may be heading south once Tyrion arrives." added Jon "The rest of the court as well."
"We don't have to tell her that." stated Arya
"A fine idea, but Robb and his councilor would see her as a hostage and would never allow it." stated Royce "Unless we give them a "hostage" in return. We can't give her either of you two, we need you riding the dragons and I am needed to bring the Vale back under control."
All eyes fell on Arya as she began to curse in Bravosy.
"Alright." answered Arya when she finished cursing.
"Alright, we will offer Lady Stark a ride back to Winterfell." stated Daenerys "I will fly her there, meet with the rest of my council after we go to King's Landing to deliver terms for their surrender."
"What terms are you thinking?" inquired Jaime
"That is what I wanted your advice about. I talked with Tyrion before we departed Winterfell but I wish your council on this as well." admitted Daenerys as they began.
They were making incredible time; the cart being pulled by two horses with a half dozen vale knights in escort and two full grown elk which bore five of the six children of the forest had been going all night. Animals aren't supposed to go this far this fast, to do so without causing grave harm was impossible, however anything was possible with magic. The children didn't wish to stop, they wanted to get to the New Raven, Bran in Winterfell as fast as possible, so using their magic they actually restored the animals as they called it. It was hard to believe what the children where saying at first, only when they reached out and touched a horse which was clearly in need of rest, only to have the horse seemly regain it's strength did they fully understand. They had used magic to remove the need for the animal to rest their muscles, but it went beyond that. The animals didn't need to sleep or even eat, however it took a toll on the children once they reached the Northern tip of Long Lake did they convince them to stop.
For Tyrion, Sam and Measter Aemon the trip was going far to fast, they could have sat for days with Leaf, the leader of the last of the Children of the Forest asking questions. Leaf was over two thousand years old having been born near the end of the War between the Children and the First Men. She had seen the first long night having taken part in the creation of the Night King.
"So please tell us more about the culture of the Children?" inquired Measter Aemon as he and Tryion asked Leaf questions, while Sam took down notes about the answers she gave.
"You act like the Children are all the same, we are not." stated Leaf. "We are the last of the Northern forest children but there where others, many others. The Children of the Rivers, the Children of the Rainy woods, the children of the Southern fields and the Children of the Mountain vale. To name a few."
"So like humans you where divided into many Kingdoms?" inquired Tyrion
"Clans would be a better term." Said Leaf as she looked at the other five Children riding the Elks. "They are my family; we are all related by blood in one way or another."
"I see." Stated Tryion, it wasn't hard to figure out that the Children of the Mountain Vale was the Vale of Arryn, that the Children of the River was the Riverlands and so on. "Is any other children still alive that you know about?"
"Possibly some in the Mountains, but the best chance would be the children of the Rivers." Stated Leaf "They are the ones who made the Pack and kept the holy Island of Faces as their own while giving up the rest of the land to the humans."
"And you made the Knight King and the Walkers to defeat mankind?" inquired Aemon
"Yes, your kind was slaughtering us and we of the Northern Forests had the longest time to prepare for the arrival of man and the Night King was our answer." Stated Leaf before she lowered her head. "Until he turned against us, slaughtered us as well as humans."
"You lost control of it." Stated Aemon as Leaf eyed the blind man with some hate in her eyes. "A fault not limited to Children of the Forest, if reports are true the Valyrian Freehold destroyed themselves when they lost control of the 14 flames."
Tryion had heard the same stories, that the Valyria was the greatest empire which ever lived who was rumored controlled fire with blood magic died when they lost control of the 14 volcano which made up the Valerian freehold.
Before anyone else could speak up the sound of multiple horse hooves filled the air, all eyes turned to the south as the handful of knights protecting the small convoy pulled their swords ready to defend the convoy. They relaxed a bit as the riders approached, the front rider was a knight but behind that knight was Dothraki blood riders, one of them carrying the banner of house Targaryen flapping in the wind.
They approached as more riders came around the bend in the road appearing from behind rows of thick trees. As they approach Tryion raised his hand and waved as Ser Jorah Mormont one of only two members of the Queen's Guard approached.
"Lord Hand." Greeted Jorah as he pulled up alongside the cart, his eyes widened as he saw the Children of the Forest riding in the cart and on the two elk. The Dothraki's eyes widened and they began to talk wildly among each other and lowered their heads toward the Children.
"What are they saying?" inquired Sam
"They are calling them, wood walkers." translated Jorah as he looked at the children of the Forest in amazement. "Are they children of the forest?"
"Yes, we are." answered Leaf
"Why are they calling them wood walkers?" inquired Sam
"I am not surprised you don't know this Samwell but south of the Isle of Ibben is a thick northern woods, it was said in ancient times that a race much similar to the Children walked in those woods. The Ibbenese settlers have said to destroy them but the Dothraki still refuse to enter the woods because it belongs to the Wood Walkers." Explained Aemon
"So that is what happened to our cousins on the other side of the narrow sea." Stated Leaf with sadness in her voice. "Hunted down and killed, not surprising considering what happened to our people."
"What news of your mission, Ser Jorah?" inquired Tyrion wanting to change the subject.
"Dreadfort is ours as well as Last Hearth and Karhold." announced Ser Jorah as Tyrion nodded his head. That was good news, but he needed to get back to Winterfell to get news of what was happening elsewhere in the North and across Westeros.
"Care to escort us back to Winterfell?" offered Tyrion "We should arrive there by nightfall."
"It will be an honor, Lord Hand." confirmed Ser Jorah
Back in the South Robb stood at the head of his own table in the middle of the woods, all around him where the Lords and the few Ladies which where with him in the field.
"They offer us terms to bend the knee, all lands and titles respected aside from the Freys and Boltons. I will have to give up my Kingship." Stated Robb "As for forgiveness about rising up against the Mad King, she claims that there is nothing to forgive, that we were right to do so."
"And you believe this mummer's tale? You believe the Dragon Whore?" inquired Lady Mormont clearly near boiling in anger. Behind her, the eldest of her four daughters Dacey Mormont stood with her arms over her chest clearly as enraged as her mother. The second oldest Lyra was with the Mormont fighting man at the moment, because unlike most ladies Mormont woman learned to fight. The youngest two Jorelle and Lyanna where still on Bear island. While Robb was meeting with Daenerys a rider and arrived with news that Jorella Mormont had returned to Bear Island, having called off the planned sea attack to reclaim Deep Wood Motte. She had spotted strange soldiers on the beach and had called off the attack.
"I believe Jon." answered Robb
"The Bastard, who now claims to be the son of a dragon?" snapped a Riverlord
"Never trust a bastard, their blood has no honor." Stated another Riverlord
"I believe him." Whispered Catelyn as all eyes shot to her. "I don't want to believe it, but I do. It makes so much sense. Eddard, Lord Eddard sorry would never talk about his sister, he let her be laid to rest in the crypts of Winterfell, no Lady of Winterfell has even been placed there. But if she was Queen of the Seven Kingdom then…"
"Forgive me Sister, but maybe your judgement is clouded by the idea that Lord Eddard didn't father a bastard and break his marriage vows." offered Lord Edmure Tully as he looked at his oldest sister. "You may be trying to find a way to…"
A glare from his sister shut him up.
"I am not attempting what you suggest dear brother, besides it would mean my Lord Husband, love of my life, father of my children and the father of your King lied to me for years." stated Catelyn
"Father would never do that." stated Robb "So this has to be some kind of lie."
"Your grace, your father did lie about his attempt to overthrow the bastard who sits on the Iron Throne." countered Catelyn
"He did so because the Lannister's where holding two of his daughters prisoners." Stated Great Jon Umber "Any man would do anything to protect his children, his blood most of all daughters."
"And if Jon is the son of his sister, how far do you think my husband would go to protect him from King Robert?" inquired Catelyn as everyone shifted a bit, they all knew that Robert Baratheon would have done almost anything to kill House Targaryen and that Lord Eddard would do almost anything to protect his family "his pack". Add to that Jon would have been nothing but a baby only would have added to Eddard's need to protect him, it was well known that Eddard quarreled with Robert about the death of the Targaryen children by Tywin Lannister during the sack of King's Landing.
"My King…something did happen while you were gone." Said Lord Tully as Robb's eyes turned toward his Uncle. "Lord Bolton has turn his banners, some of his horse attacked our rear before pulling back. Scouts report his foot falling back to the crossroad and Harrenhal."
For the longest time, no one spoke as Robb put his hand on his chin and thought.
"Bolton betrayed us, just like they said he would." Stated Queen Talisa Stark giving a voice to what everyone was thinking.
"Aye…" confirmed Robb as he looked the map, his forces where trapped but if Jon was really Jon, he didn't think he would attack them unless it was needed. "We can't stay in the woods forever, we need to replace our stores and having dragons so close is a major concern."
"What are you thinking, my King?" inquired Lord Blackwood, unlike almost every house south of the neck the Blackwoods kept the Old Gods and they had married into House Stark less then a 100 years ago.
"I will not be bending the knee, but I am not going to go charging against two dragons across a narrow bridge that would be a waste of lives." announced Robb as he put his finger on Riverrun. "We will fall back here, I also want every Lord who isn't on the march with us to join us there. And then we will invite Queen Daenerys to offer us her terms in person. I will there make my choose with their council."
Catelyn shifted a bit, she didn't like this idea. He was pretty much holding a Grand Council in the middle of a war but what choice did he have, not much. Jon had been right, they were trapped and Robb didn't have enough control over the Riverlords to make them bend the knee to the Dragon Queen, they would fear her paying them back for rising against her father the Mad King. A lot of Northern Lords would feel the same she knew, she felt it as well.
"Queen Daenerys offered us to join her for dinner, I am going." announced Catelyn
"I will not let you go alone; this offer to speak before the Lords and Ladies of our Kingdom needs to delivered by a King not by Raven." stated Robb
Hours past and Jon couldn't help but smile as he and Daenarys sat in her, well their tent just relaxing and talking.
"Dar…karys." sounded out Jon as Daenerys chuckled a bit.
"Dracarys, put the R first and it is a C not a K, it means Dragonfire." corrected Daenerys with a playful laugh as the two of them lounged together in the tent. They had no guards, no servers, just the two of them. Jon laid back a bit on the coach as Deanerys used his lap as a pillow, her bear feet hanging over the edge. "Your Measter didn't teach you High Valyrian?"
"No." answered Jon with a shake of the head. "That was a lesson for Robb and the trueborn sons and daughters, not the bastard by Lady Starks orders. I actually think Sansa can sing in High Valyrian but I am not sure of that. You heard Ayra go off in Bravosy."
Deanarys eyes narrowed a bit.
"And your Uncle didn't prevent her, he knew who you where." Stated Daenerys who felt somewhat insulted that Jon didn't know high Valyrian, he was the blood of the Dragon but the fault lied not with him but with Lady Stark.
"Education rested within Lady Stark's control and I didn't bring it up with my Fath…Uncle." said Jon with a shrug "I didn't want to start a fight between Lord and Lady Stark, besides I never thought I would need it. Some Lords don't even have their letters and I know how to speak Command and the Old Tongue."
"Old Tongue?" inquired Daenerys as Jon grinned and spoke in what sounded like a mixture of grunts and hard sounding vows. It sounded just a step above what some of the massive apes taken from jungles of Sothorys to be sold in Meereen would make talking to each other.
"I just called you a fire goddess in the old tongue." explained Jon with a chuckle "I learned it north of the wall, the free folk and most of all the Giants and the Children of the Forest use it."
"I can see where that would be very useful, maybe you can teach me some." said Daenerys as Jon raised an eyebrow and looked at her. She could already speak Common, High Valyrian and Dothraki fluently and she knew enough Bravosy to know what Arya had said earlier, another tongue wouldn't hurt her. "I have some hope of convincing the Free Folk to bend the knee and even if they don't then maybe speak to them in a way they are more used to will help."
"I wouldn't hold out much hope for that." Advised Jon "Still, North of the Wall the people follow strength, if you show them how strong you are they will follow you."
"Even though I am a woman?" inquired Daenerys
"Strength is more important then gender." admitted Jon but felt he needed to be clear. "However to them, strength normally comes in the way of physical strength but there are female chieftains within the Free Folk."
"Sound a lot like the Dothraki or in the South here." Stated Daenarys "If I can become Khaleesi to them, maybe I can become Queen beyond the Wall as well as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."
"Knowing you, I would be surpised if you didn't." stated Jon "The thing is, that they follow strength, not blood lines. They may follow you, but any child who follows you on the Iron Throne will have to prove him or herself to them."
"They may have the right there." admitted Daenerys as Jon looked at her somewhat confused. "How many lives would have been spared, if we had a way to peacefully remove someone like the Mad King and replace him with someone like your father, my brother? Something we need to consider among other reforms. I plan to have a Grand Council, of high lords, Measters, craftsman and commoners, the high and the low so that reforms can be made to help everyone."
"I remember something Measter Luwin said once during Robb's and I history lesson, Aemon the Dragon may have beaten the Kingdoms of Westeros to place them under one ruler, but it was his Grandson King Jaeharerys the Considerator and his wife the Good Queen Alysanne who truly made the Seven Kingdoms one." said Jon before looking at Daenerys with a smile. "Maybe it will take Aegon the Dragon's even more distant granddaughter to reform it yet again."
"Well if I remember my histories as well, Jaeharerys was nothing without Queen Alysanne, they ruled together." Said Daenerys "As shall we and when we are gone, our children and our children's children will live in a better world."
"Something every parent wants to give their kids, a better world then the one they had." confirmed Jon as Daenerys nodded in agreement. She wasn't with child as far as she knew but tonight the two of them would be trying for sure. That caused a question to enter her mind.
"Jon…I never asked you do want children right?" inquired Daenerys as Jon paused for a moment which caused Daenerys' heart to race a little.
"When I was younger, I never let myself dream of a family because any child I would have the name Snow. I didn't want to burden a child with a bastard name so I decided to join the watch." Explained Jon "But I am not a bastard and since I came back from the dead, I can let myself dream things I would never let myself dream before. Yes, Deanerys I want children."
Deanerys smiled as the next question entered her mind, but she believed she knew the answer.
"So you want a son I assume?" inquired Daenerys, every high lord seamed focused on having a male heir first, to carry on the line.
"I will just be happy with a healthy birth and that mother and child are safe." Said Jon but he could see that wasn't enough of an answer for Daenerys. "But if I had a choice, I think I would like a daughter first."
"A daughter?" inquired Daenerys surprised by the answer. "Why?"
"Because if she is anything like her mother, her Aunt Sansa and Aunt Arya then she will be a greater Queen then any who came before." explained Jon as Daenerys smiled and chuckled a bit. Jon wasn't wrong a daughter of House Targaryen and House Stark who was raised with the best traits of both House would make on great Queen.
"Jon…Sansa added a second more private message in the message she sent, I want your advice." Said Daenerys as she pulled out a second letter from Sansa. Jon read it over and raised an eyebrow.
"I am not sure about one part of Sansa's plan, but I like the second part, however I recommend one thing. I would talk it over with Tyrion for sure when you go back to Winterfell tomorrow." Said Jon as Daenerys nodded in agreement before sending for Lord Royce to bring him into their council.
Far to the North, a light summer snow was falling over Winterfell. The snow wasn't sticking to the ground and come morning a light frost may grace the ground, but it was still autumn, but Winter was Coming. For Lady Sansa Stark acting Wardeness of the North she had much to do, the Winter Town had to be rebuilt, armor had to be made, they had the steal and even some left-over dragon glass so weapons where being made. Luckily Messandei was taking care of the orphans and doing a great job.
"What is that?" inquired Sansa as she looked at a child drawing a butterfly with black calk on a stone wall of Winterfell.
"In my homeland of Naath, there is a butterfly which watches over children and brings them good dreams." Answered Messandei as she walked up to her by the main gate. "A lot of the children are having nightmares most of all of the dead, some saw their mothers die to protect them and that is something people do not get over quickly."
"I can relate." admitted Sansa, her nightmares seamed to switch back and forth between Ramsay and the Walkers, sometimes if it was really bad an undead wight Ramsay. "Are they doing better?"
"For the most part, some worse than others." Said Messandei as she looked to where Rickon was watching them from his room overlooking the yard. "He isn't doing that great, someone let it slip that his brother, mother, dire wolf and himself all died. He needs comfort."
"I know." Said Sansa with guilt in her voice. She knew she needed to be there for her baby brother, but Rickon was calling her mom and was hanging onto her skirts. She understood why Rickon was calling her mom, Sansa was older and looked like their mother but still she wasn't Rickon's mother and she didn't have the time to help her brother like he needed it. She was having a lot of issues because he got in the way or prepare the North for the undead and aid in the unification of the South under the Dragon banner. She needed to focus to get everything ready as she lifted her eyes up from Rickon in his window to the highest tower.
That Dragon Banner flew from the highest tower as was traditional for the ruling house, it was strange when she was little it was always the black stage of house Baratheon. From the second highest tower the banner of House Stark flew, as it did on almost every other tower minus three. One where the moon and falcon flew because the Knights of Vale called that home, another Dragon banner where a handful of Unsullied rested and flying from the 3rd highest tower was Jon's person banner, a white Dire wolf on a black field.
"Winterfell is full of ghosts to him, he looks out toward the fields beyond and asks where he dies." admitted Sansa "He needs to get out of here, this may be his home but in order for him to get well. He can't remain here, and I can't help him."
"So you plan to send him away?" inquired Messindei
"Maybe depends on how this goes." Admitted Sansa as a horn filled the air, as the gates of Winterfell opened and a small party of riders came in. In the lead was a large man which looked a lot like his father, a half dozen knights and a lady with long brown hair in a braid over her shoulder. This was the woman Sansa had sent for, Lady Leona Manderly wife of the heir to White Harbor Wyslis Manderly.
"Ser Wyslis, Lady Leona I welcome you to Winterfell." greeted Sansa as they dismounted, Wyslis had a little trouble. He was a large man, not as large as his father who was almost too large to sit a horse but he was large.
"Lady Sansa, I must admit I need to see you personally to believe this tale." admitted Wyslis "I saw the Dragon when my ship came into White Harbor with orders from King Robb to raise an army, and seeing my father clearly older was unbelievable but seeing you as a woman grown is unreal and makes me believe this wild tale even more. I remember coming up to Winterfell for the feast celebrating your first name day and when your father brought you down to White Harbor for a visit."
"I remember your city well, I always thought your merman's hall the largest and most majestic until I went to King's Landing that is." admitted Sansa as Wyslis chuckled a bit.
"Well what is that you require of us?" inquired Lady Leona as suddenly the horn blew again.
"Expecting more riders?" inquired Ser Wyslis slightly concerned about a trap.
"Not for a day or two." Admitted Sansa as the gates opened again and a cart began to come in, but the cart wasn't alone. Multiple riders in full plate armor entered as well as two elk. This caused everyone to look at each other in confusion until they saw figures riding the elk. They were small no bigger than a 12 year old with yellow cat like eyes and bark like skin and green plant like hair.
"By the father above." Exclaimed Wyslis "Children of the forest."
"Aye." Confirmed Sansa as the Cart came to a stop as Tyrion Lannister climbed down followed by Samwell who helped an ancient looking man in black robes with a thick Measter chain around his neck. That had to be Measter Aemon, the one who Jon, Tyrion and Sam held and such high regard and would be taking a position on the council.
The children looked around a little unsure.
"The Godswood is this way, if it will make you feel better." Said a voice Sansa knew well as she saw a hooded man standing by the children.
"Uncle Benjen?" inquired Sansa as the figure turned his attention to her and pulled his hood down to show, his pale undead skin but it was Benjen.
"Father protect me." Said Lady Leona Manderly
"Benjen Stark?" inquired Wyslis
"Aye, and yes I am dead, the children brought me back before the Night King could." Explained Benjen "I protect them."
"By the Seven, it's all true." Admitted Lady Leona "I didn't want to believe it, but I do."
"Aye, and I thought this tale couldn't get stranger." said Wyslis
"Wait, until you see the army of the dead and the White Walkers my Lord." Said Sansa "Now lets us retire to the great hall, food is being prepared."
Robb mounted his horse again as he headed toward the Twins for the second time in a day, he wasn't alone. Riding with him was not only three dozen high lords and Ladies of the North and Riverlands, including his mother and Queen Talisa Stark. Robb and her had argued about having her come along with them but she had won in the end. They had over 40 guards with them so a sizeable force but it was nothing compared to the camp they were heading to.
"So what is your…cousin like?" inquired Talisa as she rode beside Rob, she had donned her best cloths one emblazoned with the Dire wolf of house Stark on it.
"You will find out." answered Robb as a group of Manderly knights out of the Twins rode up to them.
"Lord Stark…forgive me King Stark please follow us." said the head Manderly Knight as they lead the group into the castle and across the bridge and out the gates of the castle on the eastern bank of the Green Fork of the Trident. They weren't lead to the ring of tents which the dragons called home, instead to the large open area beside it. Tables had been brought out from the cellars of the Twins; these tables would have been used during the red wedding but not now. Lords, Knights, men-at-arms and Dothraki all ate together around these tables.
"Welcome." greeted Lord Royce as he moved forward. "We have a high table set up for your guest King Robb, however Queen Daenerys is having a private less formal dinner in her tent with Lord Jon and Lady Arya. If you, your lady wife and mother care to join them I'll lead you."
"Yes, thank you." said Robb as they dismounted and followed Royce, he felt Talisa tense a bit as she saw the two dragons sleeping. Guards surrounded the dragons, to protect people from the Dragons and the dragons from the people. Robb had a dozen guards which stopped outside the tent, Daenerys had a dozen guards outside her tent as well. Robb and Catelyn ready themselves while Talisa was looking forward to this, outside of his mother, uncle and great uncle, Talisa had yet to meet a single blood member of Robb's family. Yes Jon was Robb's cousin but they were raised as brothers and his younger sister Arya was also in this tent. On top of that was a Targaryen, one of the blood of old Valyria.
Robb took a breath and entered to find the table had been moved from the center of the room to the side. Multiple candles and lamps illuminated the tent and the smell of roasted meat filled the air, boar if he judged from the smell. Daenerys, Jon and Arya sat around a table, none of them had touched their food yet but they were drinking.
Jon shook his head as Daenerys chuckled a bit and Arya finished whatever she was saying. Once again it was Arya who spotted them first her dark eyes darting toward the three of the as they entered the tent.
"Welcome, King Stark, Queen Stark and Lady Stark." greeted Daenerys as she rose from her chair across the table from them. "We were unsure if who would all join us, but we prepared for any possibility. Please be seated."
There was a tense moment as everyone sat down, the spread was wide with roasted boar, baked apples, buttered beets, fresh bread with honey along with other food. The spread wasn't large but it all looked great and perfectly prepared. To Catelyn's amazement there was no servers around to helped serve the food or pour for them. Then Daenerys herself pulled a knife and expertly began to cut apart the boar, taking a piece for herself, before turning the blade offering it handle first to Jon who took his own piece before he offered the blade to Robb.
"Care for a cut King Stark." Offered Daenerys as Robb took the blade, that is when it hit Catelyn, Daenerys wasn't treating this like a formal meal between two powers but a private family meal. A meal she would have at Winterfell with her own family all the time.
"I feel I must introduce myself I am Talisa, I am Robb's wife." Introduced Talish as the others across the table introduced themselves while everyone filled their plate with food. "Queen Daenarys…"
Daenerys raised her hand for a moment, stopping her.
"Please call me Daenerys, in some way we are all one family or one pack. You are the wife of my future husband's cousin." Explained Daenerys as she smiled at Talisa, before turning to Robb. "I will drop the formal titles for the moment if that is ok with you."
"It is." confirmed Robb "But before that, I must explain an offer I bring."
"Go on, King Robb." said Daenerys as she shifted back into the Queen role.
"While we are not bending the knee, my forces on the morrow will begin to pull back." explained Robb "I am going to call of council of my Lords and Ladies at Riverrun and I invite you to speak to them. If you convince them to bend the knee to you then so shall I."
Jon let out a breath, that was possibly one of the better outcomes he could have wished for. He would have liked it better if Robb had just bent the knee all together but not having to fight his cousin and having a chance to bring the Northern and Riverland armies in peacefully, was more than welcomed.
"I understand King Robb and I accept your invitation to Riverrun, please send a message to Winterfell when you have a date my court is currently there." explained Daenerys "And we have a proposal for you. On the morrow, Jon and I are flying to Kings Landing to deliver terms to them. When we return, I am flying to Winterfell to talk to my advisors. If you should wish, I will welcome to bring Lady Catelyn to Winterfell to see her children."
Robb was about to raise an objection, there was no way his Lords would accept his mother becoming a hostage to the Dragon Queen even if it meant her seeing her kids.
"I know your Lords will object to what they may see as us taking a hostage which is why, Lady Arya will go with you wherever you may want while your Mother is in the North." explained Daenerys as Robb shifted a bit, he knew that some lords would still call it a bad choose, Arya was his little sister he would never kill her. Yet also Catelyn was mother to Sansa who if was true sat on the council of Queen Daenerys and was Wardness of the North. Daenerys wouldn't want to harm her and loss the North.
"I'll do it." Said Catelyn
"Very well." Confirmed Robb
"Talisa I understand you are from Volantis?" inquired Jon wanting to get away from politics and have a more normal meal.
"Yes, I grew up beside the Long Bridge." said Talisa "When the word of the war reached us, I couldn't just stay at home and do nothing. I was trained by my late mother as a healer and she said to go where the wounded and sick are. So I came."
Daenerys nodded her head, this Talisa so far at least seamed very likeable.
"I have seen the Long bridge a many of times." stated Daenerys "When I was little my brother and I spent some time in Volantis and then on my way to Westeros with my army, I stopped there and freed all the slaves."
That caused Talisa's eyes to widened, Volantis like all the free cities minus Bravos was built on the back of slaves. In Volantis it was said 7 out of every 10 people where slaves to free them was unheard of.
"How?" inquired Talisa
"Easy when you already have freed slaver's bay and had an army of over 10,000 free unsullied, 10,000 Dothraki screams, a massive war fleet and three dragons." stated Daenerys with a grin. "The rules of the city basically gave me what I wanted almost as once. I only demanded food, water, supplies for my fleet and the freedom of every slave in the city."
"Three dragons?" inquired Robb, he had only seen two.
"Yes, one of my children, one of my dragons fell to the Night King. Then used him to break through the Wall allowing the army of the dead to march south." said Daenerys with sadness in her voice. "However he is alive again in slaver's bay and messages are already on route to bring him and the rest of the free Unsullied who didn't come back with us here to fight for the realms of man."
"I must admit I am still having trouble understanding how this is possible." Stated Robb
"It's the same for us." Admitted Jon "The thing is slightly more complex for us, we remember all the events that will never happen now. I remember getting back to Castle Black and learning of the Red Wedding and all your death."
"Well you were right about another thing, Lord Bolton betrayed us. He and his forces are heading toward Harrenhal and the Ruby Forge." Stated Robb "They have bent the knee to Joffrey."
"Well if it makes you feel better, the Dreadfort is already in our hands and his bastard Ramsay is gone." Stated Arya
"It is Lord Roose who is the main threat not some bastard." stated Catelyn as everyone on the other side of the table shifted uncomfortable, not sure what to say.
"I feel, I need to bring this up so it doesn't hurt you when you journey to Winterfell to see Bran, Rickon and most of all Sansa." Stated Jon his voice hardened. "After getting taken from King's Landing by Little Finger, Sansa was given to Roose Bolton who gave her to Ramsay…you don't want to know what he put her through but it would have broken a lesser person but Sansa is strong."
"We have all been through things which you couldn't imagine." Said Ayra as she saw her "mother" process what Jon had just said. She could see Robb's fist tighten in anger.
Catelyn didn't want to believe it, if what they were saying was true then Little Finger her childhood friend gave her daughter to the bastard of the man who betrayed them. Who then raped her daughter multiple times.
"Ramsay also put an arrow through Rickon's back as he field across the field toward me outside of Winterfell." added Jon his voice filled with sadness. "I was within feet of him when the arrow took him."
"Luckily we will not have to deal with him." Stated Arya. "I took care of him."
"You…you took care of him?" inquired Catelyn "What does that mean?"
Arya simply grinned as she took a drink of her ale.
"Arya…your mother is talking to you." Said Robb, that was something their father would say whenever Arya would ignore their mother at the table. When Eddard Stark used those words Arya would always pay it mind and start speaking, here Arya only glared at him with hardened eyes.
"My mother died at the Twins during the Red Wedding, you like she are nothing but Ghosts to me." Explained Arya as she stood up grabbing her plate of food. Both Jon and Daenerys let out a resigned sigh, as Catelyn grabbed her little girl hand as she walked past. In the past grabbing her hand had always stopped Arya's attempt to defy her, but now it only got a deadly look from her. A look which sent a chill down Catelyn's spin, as she slowly let go. Arya glared at her for another moment before turning back to Jon and Daenerys. "I'll see you in the morning, Jon, Daenerys."
Jon and Daenerys nodded their heads as Arya walked out of the tent.
"What…what happened to her?" inquired Catelyn "What happened to my little girl?"
"She isn't a little girl anymore." answered Jon as Catelyn turned back to look at him. "She is very protective of her pack and she doesn't consider you or Robb are part of her pack anymore."
"I am her mother." Countered Catelyn
"And she was outside the castle when "her" mother throat was slit before her body was dumped nude into the river while "her" brother was shot full of crossbows before his head was removed and replaced with Grey Wind's own head." added Jon, not adding the whole faceless men part of his cousin/sister life. "Arya has been through things…and trying to control her will not bring her back to you."
"That is why we hope you coming up to Winterfell will help." Explained Daenerys
"That will just take me away from her." countered Catelyn
"That doesn't make any sense." added Robb
"It does, because there is no way your Lords Robb will accept the mother of their King being a "hostage" of a possible enemy but while Lady Stark is up at Winterfell Arya is with Robb acting as a "hostage" then they will accept it." Explained Jon as he looked at Lady Stark. "Face it Aunt Catelyn you have never gotten along with Arya, she is a wild wolf who loves her family, her pack maybe time with Robb will allow her to reconnect to him and over time to you Aunt Catelyn."
"Maybe I can help, I may not have meet her before this but she is my sister now." Added Talisa as Jon and Daenerys nodded in agreement.
"Do you have a better idea, Mother?" inquired Robb
"I don't." confirmed Catelyn "Now…please you told us about what happened to everyone else but you have yet to say anything about Bran, only that he came back with you. What happened to my boy?"
"Bran…Bran is something special." Stated Jon as he wondered where to start with that.
Far to the North Sansa Stark sat in her study in Winterfell looking over messages, across the room Tryion stood on a stool looking at a map which was spread out over a large table.
"Overall the situation is very much in our favor when it comes to our human opponents, but until we unit the South we are in a bad position when it comes to our real enemy." said Tyrion
"I agree." Said Sansa as she looked at some reports. "Good news is, that we were managed to get a crop down, hopefully soon we can start growing some food around Winterfell again."
"That is good news." stated Tryion as he jumped off the stool and walked over to her, he pulled himself onto a chair and for a few moments said nothing. "You sure you want to go through with this, plan of yours?"
Sansa let out a sigh and looked at Tryion.
"Do you have a better idea?" inquired Sansa "Sending Rickon to White Harbor to be fostered by Lord Manderly will be nothing but helpful."
"Politically it is very wise, but Rickon needs his family, he needs his pack not to be sent away to a place he has never been before to people he doesn't know." Countered Tyrion, politically it was a great move. Tie one of the greatest houses in the North to House Stark and by extent House Targaryen since House Stark through Jon was tied to the Queen.
"I know." confirmed Sansa with a shake of her head, she felt so torn about this. "It is for him as well as for me, he keeps asking if this is the place he died, he is haunted by this place and I am haunted by him."
Tryion looked on as Sansa leaned back a bit her eyes watery. She wouldn't have shown this weekeness to almost anyone else, her family yes, Tyrion and maybe one other but other then that she wouldn't show this weakness to anyone.
"When I see him, when I see my own baby brother, I see the dead body we recovered from the battle of the bastards. His crushed skull from a horse hoof from the battle and the arrow in his chest. His bashed brains leaking his brain and his beaten bloody body." Explained Sansa her voice close to breaking. "I remember his funeral pile where Jon burned his body before the heart tree. I fought Jon so much over that. I wanted to place him in the crypts with father and the rest of house Stark but he refused my words. I wonder now if that is why he didn't bring up burning the dead in the crypts before the dead arrived, how many people would be alive now with us if we had burned those bodies in the crypts? How many orphans do we have now because their mothers died in the crypts from rose bodies which should have been destroyed earlier?"
"It likely slipped his mind." Reassured Tryion, he had only seen Sansa this weak a few times before. On their wedding day, he was so drunk then he couldn't remember much of that and when she learned of the Red Wedding. "It slipped all our minds but you can correct that now."
"I already have, bodies in the crypts and the nearby grave yard is being burned as we speak. I am drafting notices for the rest of the North to do the same. If the Dead come south, we will not give them free soldiers for their army." stated Sansa "Maybe Arya is right, Rickon is a ghost to me. I wonder if Mother and Robb will be the same?"
"Does that mean Theon is a ghost to you as well?" added Tyrion as Sansa flushed a bit. "I saw how you looked at him before the battle, you loved him."
"Maybe." chuckled Sansa as she reached over and poured herself some wine. "When I was a little girl, I had a huge crush on the Theon but he didn't give me a look. Looking back, he was a jerk, a self-centered jerk not as bad as Joffrey but Ramsay made him better. Made him into the man I truly loved, I am not sure this Theon is that Theon. Maybe because I didn't see him die helps me look at him but I saw Rickon die before my eyes."
"I understand somewhat, the woman I loved, the woman I killed while she lied in my father's bed is still alive." confirmed Tryion as Sansa filled a cup for him and he took it. "We all are facing complex issues since we came back."
"Agreed." added Sansa as she looked out the window, the study had a good view of the Godswood and the Heart Tree. Her father, like countless generations of Stark Lords and Kings before him would sit here and make choices about House Stark and the North within view of the weirwood. She was doing the same, from her spot she could see Bran sitting in his wheelchair however he wasn't alone. Uncle Benjen stood watch over him but he wasn't alone either, the six children of the forest had made their home before the face of the weir wood tree.
While the sun had fully set over Winterfell, it was still above the horizon on down in the Southern most Kingdom of Westeros Dorne. The hot sands of Dorne would cool during the coming night but it would never be cold. In many ways Dorne was special among the Seven Kingdoms, her woman where not considered the lesser of men and the lords of Dorne would follow a Princess of House Martell as readily as they would follow a Prince.
The Princess of Dorne, Arianne Martell stood by a balcony looking out at the small docks which sat under the walls of Sunspear the Capital of Dorne. She was dressed in a away which wouldn't have been acceptable south of Dorne outside of a whore house. The light fabric was almost see through showing off her dark olive skin, a gift from her Rhoyish blood with thicker fabric around her breasts and womanhood.
"I don't like this father." Said Arianne as she looked at her father, Doran Mortell. Doran sat in his wheelchair looking down at the docks as well. In the distant the ship his daughter was going to take to Volantis on the first leg of her journey to Norvos to see her mother was disappearing over the horizon.
"Neither do I, however it is very concerning that we got a raven with the information of about the ship we had just booked passage for you to and from Volantis on." stated Doran "And then we get word about people disappearing before the court."
"Still the Targaryen Girl, coming from the future and the army of the dead?" inquired Arianne "I don't believe it father."
"Neither do I, but I we need to know more." said Doran as he looked down at the docks to where a swan ship from the summer isle was being prepared. The swan ships where the fastest ships in the world and with the some of famous summer isle archers onboard no slave ship or pirate would attempt to take it. "You will be heading to Gulltown and from there if you find what you can and send word back. If this is some fairy tale then you will travel to Norvos by Bravos."
"I always wanted to see Bravos." admitted Arianne
"You leave at dawn, my daughter." said Doran as Arianne nodded and bent down and kissed her father's forehead.
"Goodnight father." said Arianne as she turned and walked away passing by a man in his late 20's dressed in plate armor. She eyed him and carried on, when she was gone the man moved forward.
"You summoned me my Prince." Said the man
"Yes, Ser Gerold Dayne." said Prince Martell as he rolled his chair around to face the man. "You where squire to your uncle Ser Arthur Dayne, the sword of the Morning."
"Aye…my Prince." Confirmed Ser Gerold Dayne
"Tell me…about the Tower of Joy and the Promise made of Eddard Stark to his sister and her child." questioned Doran as Ser Gerold looked down for a moment, as he remembered being a scared 14 year old squire guarding the door to Prince Rhaegal's new wife Lyanna Stark and the baby boy she brought into the world. He wanted to be out with his Uncle and the other Kings Guard but he was ordered to protect the door, only to stand aside when Eddard Stark arrived with the legendary sword of his house Dawn in his hands.
"My Prince how…" started Gerold as Doran pulled a letter with the seal of house Targaryen and another seal one with white Direwolf on it along with a few others.
"There is the letter my daughter knows about and then there are the others." explained Doran as he leaned back in his chair. "Now tell me what you know."
Far beyond the wall, in a land where living feet hadn't stepped in years the Night King stood on a balcony in an abounded citadel in an abounded city. The city still bore the scars of the ancient battle which took place here thousands of years ago. He remembered that battle, it was his greatest victory and his greatest defeat. He looked out toward the sea and allowed himself to smile the sea was gone the land had returned. He should have known it was done; he could feel this power returning he had given so much of his power to do this task that he had to gather his forces to make them easier to control. He could raise the land here and allow his forces to march on the wall, the strain on him would have been too great he would have lost control. Now he was free. He turned toward a group of his sons who had stood watch nearby waiting for orders. With a simple nod they knew what they had to do, they took off.
The Night King allowed himself a moment more before he moved down to where his horse was waiting for him. He mounted with ease and headed toward the land bridge which had risen again. He rode across the still wet soil which was quickly freezing along with a quarter of his army, the rest had now turned and headed back toward the wall. They knew their mission and he trusted his sons to do their jobs. Finally, he reached the other side and his horse stepped onto the frozen soil of eastern Essos and before him lying dead in the snow was the skull of a massive beast. He pulled the reigns on the horse, he didn't need to but he did it anyhow and rode over. There lying dead in the snow, was the bleached white skeleton, one of its wings where ripped off and half of its skull was gone but the rider still lied dead in the saddle. He now allowed himself to smile, he had gambled that once he was "Beaten" that the humans wouldn't be as careful with burning the dead as they should be. He was right, but this one was too far gone for his uses. But he knew he would find more; it was only a matter of time and he knew where he needed to start.
Hours later, Benjen Stark former 1st Ranger of the Night's Watch and now a free wight stood before the Godswood and the heart tree. The children of the forest had made their nests in the large sentinel trees which surrounded the heart tree. As a dead man, Benjen didn't have to sleep, or eat or even use the privy, so he was a perfect guard and that is what he was now. His mission, his duty was to protect the children of the forest and by extent his nephew the new Three Eyed Raven. He had stood there all night and then just as the 1st rays of the morning sun reached Winterfell Bran's eyes rolled back and turned from white back to their normal color.
"Bran?" inquired Benjen as he looked at Bran, his face was full of fear and he was breathing fast.
"I know…I know what the Night King is hiding." announced an out of breath Bran
Well I hope you liked this chapter; this was a set up for a lot of things that is coming in later parts of the story. Book readers may notice that I am trying to bring in elements from the book that was missed in the show. I hope you all enjoy the story. Thanks Wilkins75.
