Chapter 25
The small Bolton entourage arrived at Highgarden in three weeks as predicted. The Bolton messenger arrived a few days prior, allowing the Tyrell's to await at the front steps. Willas had donned his light armor and stood tall. It would be difficult to tell that he was a cripple with how he stood so solidly.
Olenna was wearing all black instead of her usual pastels. Both of them looked somber as they watched the Bolton entourage approach.
Hannibal slowed his horse to a trot as he dragged what remained of his brother to the base of the steps. There was not much left of Ramsay's skin, a majority of it had been torn away from the terrain. Most of what did remain was beneath the ropes securing him to the back of Hannibal's horse. His legs were a mangled mess that were twisted in unnatural ways. Many of his ribs had also been broken, along with his nose, and a variety of teeth seemed to be missing. Rocks had not been very kind to Ramsay along the way it would seem.
Hannibal looked up at the gathered welcoming party as he stopped his horse. "I have brought the traitorous prisoner you have requested, Lord Tyrell."
Willas hobbled forward slowly to investigate the victim who had been brought before him and tilted a brow as he looked up to Hannibal. "It looks as though he's already endured a great deal."
Hannibal gave a nod of his head as he dismounted to stand next to Willas. "I could not bring him here whole after what he did to my family. He has paid the Bolton price for his crimes, but he deserves far worse for all he has done."
Margaery dismounted and moved towards her grandmother, who met her halfway. They hugged and silently shared their sadness at the loss of Loras.
Willas signaled to his guards to cut the prisoner loose and drag his carcass inside. The Tyrells, Hannibal and Margaery followed behind the guards dragging Ramsay. They took him to an open courtyard where a large cauldron was set up with a wooden stake in its center. The guards had some difficulty lifting Ramsay into the cauldron - without his hide he was quite slippery. Ramsay whimpered in pain as he leaned heavily upon the stake within the cauldron. Hannibal briefly wondered if they were going to roast or boil Ramsay…either way it would be quite painful indeed without his skin.
The four stopped a long ways away from the cauldron and Willas signaled to two servants who brought forth a great, black box. Willas looked to Margaery. "Which will be first, sister? The execution? Or the gift?"
Margaery smiled at the box, it was considerably larger than she had thought it would be. She looked up at Hannibal sheepishly. "This is for you my love. A belated wedding present from your bride. I do apologize for its tardy arrival."
Hannibal observed the box and tilted his head in curiosity. He heard Margaery's explanation and turned to her with a small smile. "If it would please you, I would enjoy opening your gift my dear. However, I would not wish to impose upon the punishment of the prisoner Lord Tyrell."
Willas looked out at Ramsay and gave a wave of his hand. His men brought out a sealed barrel and poured the contents out into the cauldron. The liquid nearly glowed green as it flowed…wildfire. The servants hastily scurried away from the cauldron as the prisoner screamed from the burning he felt from the liquid alone. Willas smiled in approval. "I think his final punishment can wait a bit longer."
Hannibal watched that barrel and found himself curious how the Tyrells came into possession of so much wildfire. There was dark glee in his eyes when Willas said to let Ramsay stew in the deadly liquid for a bit. Hannibal was certain the liquid was absorbing into what blood vessels remained rapidly. He turned back to the large black box and reached down to open it. "Then I look forward to seeing what it is you got for me my dear."
Margaery watched as Hannibal opened the box; there were red, black, and green silks inside. Nestled within those silks was a single great egg, glistening red with streaks of gold running over it. Margaery was grinning from ear to ear. "Dragon eggs are hard to come by."
Hannibal smiled broadly as he reached down to touch over the very hard shell of the egg. "It is most exquisite My Lady. I will need to think of a way to thank you properly for such a gift." Everyone knew of the petrified eggs that some lucky men had managed to collect from the Shadowlands.
Margaery smiled when she saw how pleased Hannibal was with the gift. "I am glad you like it so. It is from the same person who provided petrified eggs to a certain wedding in Essos…so I've heard." She said coyly.
Hannibal glanced to his wife for a moment as he considered the stories he had heard as well. Daenerys Targaryen did indeed have three petrified eggs that she managed to hatch, so it was said. He glanced to the cauldron filled with wildfire, contemplating possibility.
Margaery saw Hannibal thinking deeply and stepped up to kiss his cheek and speak lowly into his ear. "Perhaps, with the right application of flame, you may awaken your own beast." She pointed out.
Hannibal considered her words and turned to speak lowly as well. "I heard the others were hatched in a funeral pyre."
Margaery looked to her grandmother for a moment. "From what was explained to me, yes. Something supernatural happened that day. Targaryens are not fireproof merely by nature…but she sat upon the pyre with her dragon eggs and walked away unscathed and unburnt. I think her sorrow stoked that fire and woke her dragons. Not the fire itself, otherwise there would be a number of dragons in the Shadowlands should an egg be caught up in a blaze."
Hannibal reached into the box and picked up the egg. He brought it close to his face and spoke lowly in High Valyrian, "Come out and we shall have some fun." He then looked to Willas. "I have a few last things to say to the prisoner."
Willas gave a nod of his head and motioned towards Ramsay. He was curious what more Hannibal wanted.
Hannibal carried the egg and some of the silks. He set the egg two sword lengths away from the cauldron. He laid the silks out flat, but overlapping. He wanted a few embers from the cauldron to spark one of them and send heat to the egg. He then turned to look at Ramsay.
"Now you will die like the vermin you are." He said coolly before turning to return by Margaery's side a very safe distance away from the cauldron.
Willas looked out to Ramsay and spoke loud and clear, "Let this serve as a message to those who cross house Tyrell: We have grown strong, and even the fairest roses may yet have poison in their thorns. Such a crime and insult to our clan will not go unpunished. Nor shall kinslaying in any form."
With that said, an archer shot a flaming arrow into the cauldron.
The wildfire lit in an instant and Ramsay screamed out as he finally died being consumed in the eerie green flames. The cauldron did indeed send a few sparks that landed on a few of the stones around the courtyard. One landed on the silks and burned through the material before touching the egg. Once the flames reached the egg, they seemed to be absorbed by the shell. The red of the egg seemed to grow a brighter red as the heat filled the shell. It took a full hour for the wildfire to burn itself out. However, no one moved to approach.
All eyes were on the egg…it was moving.
Margaery smirked to herself. How else to hatch a dragon than to use the flames created by Aerys Targaryen himself? Soon pieces of the shell could be seen falling away, there were low sounds coming from within the egg.
"Gods be good…" Olenna whispered.
Hannibal took a thick leather strap from one of his soldiers and strapped it around his left forearm. He strode forward as a crimson dragon with golden eyes finally emerged from the egg. He picked up the small creature and placed it on his arm, like he would a falcon. He held the creature's gaze and spoke in High Valyrian to it.
"Welcome my son. I will feed and protect you until you grow large enough to protect me." Hannibal spoke with authority in his voice. All dragon lore spoke of them as being highly intelligent. Hannibal would assert his dominance over the creature quickly, just like he did with his wolves.
Margaery smiled in pride and approached after Hannibal had lifted the small creature. She reached up to stroke her fingers over the dragon's little head. "Hello little one." She then looked to her husband and kissed his cheek. "Well? What are we to call him?"
The dragon was completely focused on Hannibal and Margaery. It was making small cooing sounds and moving its head in curiosity. It liked being stroked over the head by the female.
Hannibal was pleased at the positive interaction so far. He continued to speak to the dragon. "I am your father. This is my mate, your mother. You will obey us and we will give you the sky to fly and grow." He said as he stroked over the small creature's chest before choosing a name.
"Vhagar."
Margaery smiled and nuzzled close to Hannibal so that their draconian son could see that the two of them came together. "Our Vhagar," she whispered softly. "I'm so very glad to see you, my boy."
The small red dragon with gold streaks down its spine, puffed up its chest when it was given a name. He turned his head and spat a little puff of fire to show his agreement. He had turned his head so that he wouldn't hurt his parents.
Olenna and Willas were surprised that the dragon was responding to them so well. They had heard the name and exchanged glances. Vhagar was the same name as one of the great dragons of legend. It was said that the first Vhagar was one of the mounts when the Targaryens conquered the Seven Kingdoms and created a unified kingdom.
Hannibal turned with Margaery and their new son and began walking back towards Olenna and Willas. He leaned down to whisper lowly in her ear. "I will have to think very hard on how to repay such a magnificent gift…unless I planted a gift within you on our wedding night."
They stopped before Willas and Olenna. Margaery kissed her grandmother on her cheek. "House Tyrell is avenged grandmother."
Olenna nodded, "Yes, and hopefully your father, the great oaf, will get up and out of bed and tend his responsibilities. To tell the truth…things have gone quite smoothly with Willas in charge."
Willas blushed a bit at the praise from his blunt grandmother. However, he smiled knowing that justice had indeed been served.
Hannibal gave a slight bow of his head. "I am sorry for the reason justice was needed. However, I am glad to see that there is some good news for both of our houses in the end."
Willas gave a somber nod of his head. "We were sorry to hear of the passing of your father, Lord Roose."
Hannibal gave a nod of his head as they turned and began to walk indoors. He shifted Vhagar to sit upon his shoulder as they moved.
"So then, will you remain in Winterfell with the passing of your father, or return to the Dreadfort?" Olenna asked as they walked. She was curious where her granddaughter would end up.
"I've never actually seen your ancestral home of the Dreadfort." Margaery pointed out. Though she had heard a great deal of fearful tales from it.
Hannibal had a plan, but he would only reveal the truth to his wife in private. He planned on using Winterfell as a catalyst to turn Littlefinger's trump card against him to make a bid for their loyalty to him. "There is a Lord of a small house who swore loyalty to me on the day I came of age. I am inclined to leave the care of Winterfell to him as I now have the burden of caring for my ancestral home."
Olenna had heard tales of the Dreadfort as well, and was not thrilled to think of Margaery in such a macabre place. However, she had come to trust Hannibal and Margaery seemed genuinely happy. So if the Dreadfort was where he intended to take her, Olenna would not object. Besides, it was the Bolton ancestral home. A clan should make their camp in the home of their clan. "Very well, Winterfell belongs to the Boltons, now I suppose. What you do with it is your business." Olenna replied and stepped forward to take Margaery's hands into hers. "As long as my girl is happy. That is all that concerns me."
Margaery smiled and nodded her head. "I'm beyond happy grandmother."
Hannibal slipped his arm around Margaery's waist to hold her close. "The Dreadfort is only slightly further north than Winterfell. Perhaps next time you can visit us and allow us to show you true northern hospitality."
Margaery curled into Hannibal. The idea of hosting her family at the Dreadfort made her chuckle.
"The North is far too cold for these old bones." Olenna replied. "But for Margaery I may risk it."
Margaery smiled. "Hardly a risk, Grandmother." She teased. Then she looked to Hannibal. "Might we stay in Highgarden for a while longer, my love? Or must we make haste back to Winterfell?" She knew he was newly a Lord and had responsibilities, but she wanted to spend some time with her family to properly mourn for Loras.
Olenna chose to chime in to try and sway them to stay longer. "A newborn dragon will likely need a great deal of warmth to survive his first few days. Something the North lacks."
Hannibal summoned his Captain. "Send word to the Dreadfort to be cleaned and prepared for our arrival in a fortnight. Have them send a carriage to carry us there. Send a raven to Winterfell to continue following the orders we left and to send my father's body to the Dreadfort. Also, send a man to the Lord who had requested Winterfell from my father. Tell him to meet me at the Dreadfort the day after our planned arrival." Hannibal then held up his hand to hold the Captain before he left. He turned to look to Olenna. "Are you certain Highgarden has enough mattresses to accommodate our stay?"
Olenna chuckled at the question. "We have had a special delivery since the pair of you left. There are at least a dozen extra mattresses at our disposal – not that I'm posing a challenge to the pair of you!" Olenna scolded.
Hannibal gave a wave to his Captain, who bowed out to carry out his orders.
Margaery lightly swatted Hannibal's chest and smiled to him. She practically jumped in happiness. A whole fortnight in Highgarden, she kissed his cheek and nuzzled against him. She was beyond happy.
Hannibal didn't truly acknowledge the swat to his chest. He knew his decision pleased his wife. Without Ramsay around, he could truly enjoy his time here. He chose not to banter back, but he did indeed plan on ruining at least one mattress a day during their stay. Hannibal pet over Vhagar's head as they walked into the keep.
Chapter 26
Jaime Lannister got Bronn and a few other men to ride with him from King's Landing. He was disturbed by all of the reports of Bolton men moving so much between the North and Highgarden. He went with a few men to investigate this Bolton caravan he had heard was traveling from Highgarden. They would wait along the road to stop the caravan on its return to the North so that Jaime could talk to Hannibal Bolton…apparently he was now Lord Bolton.
A fact that made Jaime deeply unsettled.
...
Their time spent in Highgarden was a whirlwind for Margaery. Much to her grandmother's annoyance they did indeed ruin several mattresses during their stay. Olenna mumbled something about charging a fee for every mattress they ruined and needing to have a stockpile of mattresses built for when they visited.
They were finally mounting up within the carriage and upon horseback. Mab and Vhagar were now nearly the same size. They came up to Hannibal's knees now and played with each other eagerly. They would both be riding with Margaery in the carriage to keep them safe from prying eyes as they traveled to the Dreadfort.
Hannibal's men had informed him that Jaime Lannister had ridden out from King's Landing with a small group of men. He suspected that Jamie would be waiting to speak with them along the way. He stood by the carriage to assist his wife inside after she finished saying her goodbyes. He gave her a tender kiss before shutting the door behind her and mounting up. They would return to the Dreadfort at a far more relaxing pace than when they had left Winterfell. Hannibal rode near the carriage to hold conversation with Margaery should she be interested.
Once they had been traveling for a few hours, Margaery leaned out the window to look at Hannibal. "Tell me love, what is the Dreadfort like?" She was curious for their future.
From the tales she'd heard, it was not the ideal place for women and children. However, it was to be her home all the same. She wondered if it had been built at all similarly to the Stark home to keep warm in the winter.
Hannibal smirked at her question. "The Dreadfort is a castle that honestly is Winterfell's rival as far as size and capacity goes. However, it does not feel like the friendliest of places at times." He said before turning his head to look at her. "I have ordered more furnishings so that it looks more hospitable now that I am Lord."
Margaery smiled as she thought of building her new home with Hannibal. "I've heard the castle is built near volcanic vents to keep it warm, is that so?" She smiled even brighter at his mention of more furnishings. "You're married to a Southern woman now, I'll give it a proper woman's touch."
Hannibal chuckled at that as he nodded his head in agreement. "I look forward to seeing what you do with it. You will have full reign over moving and redecorating everything."
Margaery smiled at that. She was pleased to be given so much opportunity to make the castle more welcoming.
Hannibal heard a horse up ahead and scanned the terrain, he spotted a glint of gold on the horizon. He looked into the carriage and ordered Vhagar to conceal himself. Vhagar slid beneath the bench Margaery was sitting upon through a secret panel Hannibal had installed for him to hide if necessary. Mab had been resting her head in Margaery's lap. When she heard the order, she shifted to hide the secret door to help fully conceal Vhagar.
Margaery glanced out the window and spotted a small group riding towards them. She spotted the Lannister flag and immediately stiffened.
Hannibal called their caravan to a halt when he saw the glimmer of gold growing closer before spotting the Lannister sigil on a flag. He ordered his men not to draw their weapons. They were still allies with the Lannisters and he would not attack this band and risk an open war so soon.
Jaime saw the caravan stop and some of the men dismounted before stepping off into the woods, most likely to relieve themselves. He spotted that none of them seemed to be armed and that set him slightly at ease.
Hannibal spotted Jaime Lannister leading the group in person. It was odd to see a Lord Commander of the Kingsguard without his King. He bowed his head towards Jaime. "Sir Jaime Lannister. I did not expect to cross paths with you on our journey home."
Margaery didn't bother to acknowledge him. She hadn't cared for him as an uncle-in-law…or was it technically father-in-law? Either way, she had never enjoyed his company. Margaery had no polite words for him, so she said nothing but listened carefully. She was curious as to why they had been stopped. Jaime was awfully far from King's Landing, awfully far away from Cersei. Something was wrong.
Jaime gave a bow to Hannibal and spotted Margaery within the carriage. He was actually pleased to see her there. He could now confirm that she was indeed wed to Hannibal and would no longer be a threat to his sister or their remaining son. "Really? It seems that you have been doing a fair amount of crossing lately. It would have simply been a matter of time until we crossed paths."
Hannibal tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Two of those journeys were related to the bastard who stained the honor of both my house and my wife's house."
Jaime listened and raised an eyebrow at the mention of Ramsay Snow. "Would that have anything to do with the man you were seen dragging behind your horse? Or at least most of a man from what I've heard." He had heard that Hannibal had become Lord Bolton after Ramsay killed their father.
Hannibal nodded with a somber look on his face. "The Lord of House Tyrell had requested the bastard alive to meet out punishment for his offenses. I chose to deliver him in Bolton fashion so that he could represent my sigil properly before being executed as a kinslayer."
A few of Jaime's men flinched a bit at that did not allow any emotions to cross his face. That last point shed some light into the severity of the punishment, but not why the Tyrells would be so cross with him. "Kinslayer? Does that mean the rumors of your father being murdered are true? Why would the Tyrells care how he was punished if it was kinslaying?"
Margaery was listening carefully. She straightened her shoulders and looked straight ahead. She would not cry in front of a Lannister. Besides, Loras had been avenged, there was nothing more to be done.
Hannibal shifted his horse closer to Jaime to speak lowly so that only Jaime would hear. "When I returned to Winterfell with my bride…he had the skin of Loras Tyrell hanging above what was supposed to be our bed and the remaining meat on the center of it being consumed by his hounds. It was a very upsetting sight for my wife and I do not wish to discuss it further. During his arrest he shot my father with a crossbow." He said before moving back near the carriage.
Jaime felt his stomach turn as he listened to the crimes that were committed. He adjusted his position on his horse as he settled himself. Even for a father that was hard...knowing that a sibling killed them complicated things. He sat up to continue with the business he was sent to complete. "I am truly sorry for your loss, Lord Bolton. However, the King had made your father Warden of the North…"
Hannibal cut in before Jaime could continue. "He was. I am prepared to take on that responsibility as my pledge of fealty to the King. I have been in charge of reports in the North for months. My father had given me the responsibility once my betrothal had been agreed upon. I am aware that some of the men in the North were speaking of a revolt. My father did not see it as a threat as I do. I will remind those in the North that their King resides in King's Landing and that they need to remain loyal. I have also heard rumors that the Blackfish has plans to retake Riverrun from the Freys. I intend to send small squads to try and flush the elusive warrior out of hiding and cut him down before he gets close to Riverrun."
Margaery was listening as Hannibal spoke. She found his words to be confusing, but did not show it. Instead she imagined Hannibal cutting off Jaime's head and defeating the small group with him. Of course that fantasy would lead to open war, but it was a pleasant thought.
Jaime was annoyed at first when he was interrupted. The annoyance turned into concern when he heard Hannibal's reports. He had not heard anything about the Blackfish. He wondered if the Freys were keeping that information a secret, that old fuck was probably worried that he would lose the additional protection from House Lannister if he mentioned it. He focused upon Hannibal and would puzzle over this information later. "The King would like to see both you and your bride. Pledging your fealty in person would please the King."
Hannibal nodded in agreement. "I must bury my father in the Bolton tradition and establish myself as the head of my house. I will then send a raven when I will travel to King's Landing."
Jaime gave a bow of his head after a moment of hesitation. He knew Cersei would not be pleased by this; however, he was a new Lord and giving him time to establish himself would be expected by the other Lords. "We would like to see the Lady Bolton as well, I would advise you to visit within three months. Safe travels Lord Bolton." He looked to Margaery within the carriage. "Lady Bolton." Jaime then kicked his heels into his horse and rode back towards King's Landing.
Margaery simply nodded her head to Jaime and waited for them to resume their journey and all the Lannister men to be gone before she spoke softly to Hannibal. "Truly you do not intend to grovel to the lioness or her cub, do you?" Olenna had spoken of marrying Margaery to Tommen, but Margaery was happy that she hadn't. The poor boy might be a good King if only his mother wasn't so involved with him. He was far too soft though. She did not want to watch her husband swearing an oath to King Tommen, even if it was for the continuation of a scheme against the Lannisters.
Hannibal heard her words and gave her a slight smirk. "There is still a war going on, My Lady. There could be a great disturbance that requires the Warden of the North's full attention and make him quite unable to travel so far South as King's Landing." He pointed out. Hannibal had no intention of groveling before the bitch Cersei Lannister. His father had bent the knee to secure the Bolton house in a place of power. However, Hannibal had no intention of ever bending his knee. Especially not to those golden pricks of lions.
Margaery smiled when she heard that. "I knew you had a plan. Of course, in such dangerous times, it is not safe for a Lady to travel alone. So of course the Lady Bolton couldn't leave the Dreadfort without the Warden."
Hannibal chuckled at that. "Indeed not. It would be far too great a danger for the Lady Bolton to travel alone anywhere."
Mab and Vhagar came out of hiding and moved around in excitement at Margaery's feet. Margaery chuckled as she began thinking of the rest of their journey. "So then, what to do when we arrive at the Dreadfort? After we leave our mark in every room in the castle, that is." She teased.
Hannibal chuckled at her words. "Once we arrive we will have about a day to ourselves before we will have our first visitors. It would be good if you could sway the Lady who arrives tomorrow to support us in our endeavors." His eyes then danced a bit as he leaned over and spoke lowly. "It would take us a month to leave our mark in every room. I suspect you will have already missed a bleeding by then."
Margaery smirked at his tease. "Are you up to that challenge, my love?" She should be bleeding now, but Margaery planned on keeping that information a secret until she missed a second bleeding. She then thought of his first comment and wondered of whom he was speaking. "Oh? What makes you think I have any sway over such a Lady? Whom might she be?"
Hannibal's eyes revealed that he thought he was more than ready for that challenge. At her second question he looked at her. "You have met her before. Although the circumstances were quite different at the time. Rumor was she was the only true friend you had on your prior stay in King's Landing."
Margaery thought for a moment, and when it dawned on her the answer she nearly stuck her whole head out the carriage window. She held back and managed to only grasp the ledge and stare up at him with wide eyes. "Sansa?" Her voice hushed to keep from drawing unwanted attention. "Coming to the Dreadfort?" To take back Winterfell? "Is she well? What have you heard? Keeping secrets from me, how cruel!"
Hannibal nodded to his captain who came to take the reins of his horse. Hannibal then hopped onto the carriage as his captain took his horse. He slipped into the carriage without having to stop it and looked at her with a smile.
"She is as well as she can be. Littlefinger smuggled her out of King's Landing. He had two different plans concerning her. One was to marry her off to my brother. The other was to marry her himself and use her as his way onto the Iron Throne. Neither is a good option for her. Do you believe she had any desire to live anywhere other than Winterfell on her own terms?" He asked his wife.
When Hannibal moved so easily from horseback into the carriage, she couldn't help but regard him in wonder. He was so agile despite his muscular frame. Loras had been skilled in the arena because he was lean and agile, while men like the Mountain were renowned for their brute strength. Hannibal seemed to be the best of both. Margaery leaned into him as he sat beside her. The mention of Littlefinger made her tense though, and she looked to Hannibal with worry in her eyes.
She shook her head in answer. "No. Starks belong in Winterfell." Not Boltons, not Tyrells and certainly not Lannisters.
Hannibal put his arm around her shoulders to hold her close. "That is my sentiment as well. I would offer to Sansa her ancestral home in return for promising troops should I need them and also promising to name her Wardeness of the North once our ambitions are reached. I won't make her promise herself in marriage to anybody. Do you think you could convince her that our opportunity is far greater than anything Littlefinger whispers into her ear?"
Margaery leaned in and looked up to Hannibal as he explained. "I could, I have no doubt of that," but something tugged at the back of her mind. "What army could she possibly have, darling?" The Sansa that Margaery knew was meek and quiet. Margaery knew not of any army that Sansa had amassed in the name of reclaiming her ancestral home.
Hannibal smirked at her question. "Many clans of the North desire to follow a Stark again. Some of them have even called for her half-brother Jon Snow to step out and they would follow him. If she were to be in Winterfell once again, they would quickly move to follow her. If I were the one to restore her to her home…any clans who move to follow her would be far more willing to fight alongside the Bolton men in the future. She does not currently possess an army, but the potential is there."
Margaery gave a nod of her head in understanding. "I will see how much I can sway her. Who will she be traveling with? Littlefinger? Don't tell me that you intend to let him into our home?" Margaery didn't like Petyr Baelish - she had always been suspicious of him.
Her distrust of Littlefinger was met with a smirk from Hannibal. "I want to see how lean he currently is. One of these days you and I will go on a hunt for Littlefinger. I will let you decide which pieces I cook up for you."
Margaery's eyes danced at that. "That sounds like a very thrilling hunt, my love. I look forward to it." She felt a thrill at the thought of this hunt.
Chapter 27
Sansa was sitting stiffly in the carriage next to Lord Baelish. Her hands were folded tightly in her lap as her nerves tried to get the better of her, but she refused to show it. Littlefinger had explained to her that they would be meeting the new Lord and Lady Bolton. He had said that they were secret allies and the key to her once again returning home to Winterfell. She was relieved that Lord Baelish wasn't speaking of marrying her to a Bolton, but she was also nervous about this meeting.
The Boltons were one of the families that had participated in the Red Wedding, where she had lost her mother and brother. She did not like the idea of meeting with one…much less his wife.
At least her natural red hair could be seen again, something that was a relief. She just hoped this wasn't a trap that would end with her back in King's Landing...thrown to the ground before Cersei's feet.
...
Jaime had returned to the Red Keep quickly and went to Cersei's chambers to speak with her immediately upon his return.
Cersei was standing by the balcony with a glass of wine in her hand. "So? Did you learn anything new? It seems you failed to bring in the new Lord Bolton to swear his fealty." She said with a bit of ice to her tone.
Jaime was riled at the accusation, but held his anger for now. "Ramsay Snow killed Roose Bolton with a crossbow shortly after Hannibal Bolton was wed to Margaery Tyrell. I suppose that is the fashionable way for an unfavored son to kill his father these days. Apparently the bastard flayed and killed Sir Loras, prior to killing his father. Ramsay has been put down for his crimes, but now with Margaery wed to Hannibal, and killing Roose Bolton...the crippled Sir Willas, is now more or less the sole heir to Highgarden. He has not fathered any children and I do not see him doing so before he dies. Once he passes away, Highgarden may pass to the Boltons. I do not mind that final result. The Boltons are ruthless; however, they are not stupid enough to cross those in power."
Cersei listened as he spoke and continued to sip her wine. She turned slowly to look at him. "So…that upstart little whore is now truly Lady Bolton? I do hope that the bastard didn't mar her up before he was killed…that would be a shame indeed." She spoke with no hint of sadness in her voice.
Jaime tilted his head at that before shaking his head. "No, she looked to be in good health. As to swearing fealty...Lord Bolton has promised to send word of when he will arrive here, with Lady Bolton, after setting affairs in order at the Dreadfort. He did just lose his father shortly after getting married." He paused for a moment before glancing down at the floor. "He also provided some information that could prove troublesome."
Cersei was irritated with everything Jaime just said. She hated Margaery with every fiber of her being and she looked forward to the day when she could kill that little whore. She finished her glass of wine and glared angrily at Jaime. "What is this information you find so troublesome?" She asked as she went to pour herself another glass of wine.
Jaime saw her anger and he frowned when she went to pour herself more wine. "He informed me that he had heard whispers of the Blackfish trying to muster some men to try and retake Riverrun." When Cersei's cup refilled, his anger swelled. "You do drink water on occasion don't you?"
Cersei paused as she considered the report, ignoring his latter comment about the water. "The Blackfish? I thought the Freys said he was dead."
Jaime was frustrated that she didn't answer his second question. He focused on the Blackfish for the moment, it was indeed a worrying report. "That is how Lord Frey so informed us. However, he is not well known for being absolutely honest if he is afraid of losing something he thinks is valuable."
Cersei took a sip of her wine. "I want you to discover the truth of these rumors. I want you to get that Frey weasel to tell you the truth and get an idea of what the Blackfish is up to if he is indeed alive. While you are away, if it has been longer than a month and Lord Bolton has not yet traveled to swear his fealty…go and visit him. Bring him with you back to King's Landing to swear his fealty." She commanded.
Jaime stood very still as she spoke. "I will leave in the morning to discover the truth about the Blackfish. As for Lord Bolton…if the King desires me to go and collect him I will indeed serve as commanded." He said sharply before turning and leaving.
...
The preparations at the Dreadfort had been completed smoothly with Margaery in control of the details. The entire castle seemed a bit livelier than Hannibal remembered growing up in. But there were still plenty of imposing and intimidating decorations throughout the castle.
Hannibal had reminded Margaery to show Sansa the same caring person she had seen in King's Landing. He had no doubt that the proud Stark daughter would not be open to hearing his proposal right from the beginning. He hoped that Margaery would help smooth things over with the young she-wolf.
Soon enough the carriage arrived in the open courtyard. Hannibal waited with Margaery by his side to greet the pair within the carriage.
Once the carriage stopped, Petyr Baelish bounded out of the carriage and assisted Sansa out. He led her towards the new Lord and Lady Bolton. Sansa kept her eyes down at first, she would wait until they were speaking to look up.
Hannibal gave a cordial look to the pair and noted Sansa's actions, she was more nervous than he had expected. "Welcome to The Dreadfort. It is a pleasure to meet you both in person. I do hope your journey was uneventful."
Littlefinger smiled and gave a nod of his head. "My Lord and Lady Bolton. It is a pleasure to meet you both, you have my thanks for receiving us so warmly."
Sansa finally looked up and her blue eyes widened as she saw the grinning Margaery. Margaery held her arms open to Sansa.
"M…Margaery…?" Sansa stepped forward and hugged her tight. Both women exchanged kisses to one another's cheeks and seemed genuinely happy.
Hannibal gave a nod of approval as he watched his wife reconnect with young Sansa. Littlefinger had not expected Margaery to be so warm to Sansa, perhaps the two truly had formed a deeper friendship than he knew.
"It's so good to see you!" Margaery smiled before looking into Sansa's eyes. "I'm so glad to see you in good health!"
"You're the new Lady Bolton?" Sansa was surprised. "But, what about…"
"Plenty of time for that later," Margaery replied. "Surely you'd like to get settled, yes?"
"Yes…and I am indeed rather hungry." Sansa admitted.
"Good, I'll show you to your room then." Margaery looked to Hannibal. "My love, would you mind terribly showing Lord Baelish to his room without me?" Sansa's room was near their chambers, while Littlefinger's were farther off to keep Sansa safe from him. While not so far away that they couldn't monitor him.
Hannibal and Baelish both bowed their heads as the ladies left. Once they were gone, Hannibal led Littlefinger towards the chambers that had been prepared for him. "How are the preparations for our joint venture, Lord Baelish?"
Littlefinger chuckled at that. "Business first as usual Lord Bolton? Things are progressing quite well indeed. The young Lord of the Eyrie is quite a good lad. I believe with the right counsel he will happily go to his cousin's aide when the time is right." He paused before continuing. "I see that you have indeed wedded the golden rose. How did you manage to pull that off? I thought the Lannisters would have passed her along to their next son."
Hannibal chose to feed Littlefinger a half truth. "My father desired an alliance with the Tyrells. He made a deal with some on the Small Council so that they would not protest too loudly for Margaery to be wed to me."
Littlefinger found that quite curious. "The Tyrells have little love for the Lannisters. Is it not a bit bold to make bedmates of them and raise suspicions?"
Hannibal stopped walking and looked Lord Baelish directly in his eyes. "Lord Baelish, the Lannisters have far more problems in King's Landing to worry about than me marrying a Tyrell. I suspect the Queen Mother is quite pleased at this turn of events and will likely not care…unless she hears whispers from little birds." He said with a note of warning in his tone.
Hannibal was standing at his full height to make it clear to Littlefinger that this was a direct threat should Littlefinger cross him.
Lord Baelish did feel a bit intimidated by that look, but tried not to show it. "Indeed, Lord Bolton. I do assure you that the Eyrie will defer to your house." At least until Sansa reclaimed Winterfell with him by her side.
Hannibal saw that moment of fear and motioned to the door they had stopped beside. "Here are your chambers Lord Baelish. Dinner will be in two hours." He spoke before turning to make his way to his own chambers slowly.
...
Margaery had looped her arm with Sansa's as she led her down the hall. Sansa looked to Margaery in concern. "Are you all right? Have you been kidnapped?" She looked to Margaery with concern. "Is Lord Bolton abusing you?"
Margaery chuckled softly at the question. "No, certainly not!" Margaery squeezed her arm. "Still so sweet, so concerned for me sweet Sansa. No, my husband is kind and giving and protective of me."
Sansa stared in disbelief. "He is?"
Margaery chuckled. "I know, hard to believe from a Bolton. I do promise you it's true." She glanced over her shoulder and looked to see if they had enough room to speak privately. "My husband wants to use his new power to free you from Littlefinger."
"What…?" Sansa started.
"Sansa." Margaery took her friend's hands in hers and looked up into her eyes. "Littlefinger wanted to marry you to Ramsay. I overheard Roose Bolton sending a raven to him on the matter. Ramsay killed my brother in a gorey and tortuous fashion. My husband brought him to the gods' justice. Ramsay would have tortured you, hurt you…while Littlefinger reaped the benefits."
Sansa looked hurt, thinking of being betrayed like that. A shudder raced down her spine after she heard that Ramsay had hurt Sir Loras...her eyes widened as she looked up at Margaery. "Your brother...Margaery I'm so sorry…"
Margaery patted her shoulder. "Thank you Sansa, my husband avenged me when Ramsay was executed. Just…trust me. If you cannot trust my husband, you can trust me – you did at King's Landing did you not? My grandmother and I."
Sansa nodded slowly. Margaery smiled as they approached the door to Sansa's chambers. "But all that can wait for later. This is where you will be staying. Hannibal and I are just down the hall should you need anything. Go ahead, open the door."
Sansa opened the door and looked confused. Inside were two young wolf pups. One was smoky black and the other pristine white. They were playing and tumbling all around the room.
"Mab." Margaery called to her pup, the smoky black one trotted towards her Mistress and sat down at Margaery's feet. The other pup whined. Margaery gestured to the pup. "Go on."
"Go on what?" Sansa stared in shock.
"She's a gift, from my husband and I." Margaery smiled as Sansa's eyes went wide. "It was cruel, what happened to your first pup. She can't replace Lady proper, but…"
"She's wonderful!" Sansa cried out as she hugged Margaery and stepped forward before leaning down to pet the pup. "Margaery…" she looked up as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you so much."
Margaery smiled to her. "She has been trained by me on the basics. She will love and protect you well. She is welcome to play with her cousin, Mab, whenever you come to visit us. I'll leave you to it for now, myself or one of the servants will come knocking when dinner is ready."
Sansa nodded and hugged her again before releasing Margaery. She entered her room and closed the door to begin training her new pup. There were tears of joy as the young pup approached her and cuddled into her. She even worked to lick the tears from Sansa's face.
Margaery spotted Hannibal at their chamber doors. She smirked as she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "The wolf worked splendidly love."
Hannibal smirked as he opened the door for her and allowed Moanna to enter before Margaery and then himself. "Pets make excellent gifts to build trust." He said as he looked at Margaery. "Does she seem to trust you?"
Margaery stepped in close to Hannibal and trailed her fingers along his chest and tugged slightly at his doublet and cloak. "She does." Margaery nodded. "Which I hope you plan to use constructively and not as a form of manipulation."
Hannibal chuckled as he leaned into her touch slightly. "I am glad that she trusts you. I promise not to use it as a manipulation tool." He said before smirking as he leaned in closer to her. "I leave that entirely to you my love." He said with a low chuckle.
Margaery shoved him back but gave him a playful smile. "I would never have cause to manipulate Sansa. People have done enough of that to her." As they had to Margaery; so she sympathized with the Stark girl.
Hannibal did not fight the push, but he did press back into her quickly. "Indeed they have. I have no intentions of manipulating her further my dear. My only intention is to give her an opportunity to be her own person, free of outside influence." He spoke truthfully.
Margaery smiled and nodded her approval. "Good, I am glad to hear it, love." She kissed him softly. "What have you arranged for dinner? The kitchen is making Sansa's favorite lemon cakes I trust?"
Hannibal nodded at her words as he slowly walked towards her and began to guide her back to their bed. "Indeed they are. They are also making a nice northern stew for her. The goal is for her to miss Winterfell so much that she desires to return there and stay there."
Margaery chuckled as she stepped back against the bed. "I see – and what exactly is your plan that you're carrying out right now?" She gestured between them. "Dinner is not so far off my darling."
Hannibal smirked as he continued until he was pressed up against her. "It is far enough away for me to enjoy a sweet treat."
Margaery chuckled as her fingers slid beneath his doublet and shirt. She kissed him softly and chuckled against his lips. "Mmmm, you'll spoil your dinner my darling. Besides, we have guests."
Hannibal smirked as his hands slid over the sides of her body slowly. "It won't spoil my dinner. Besides, I can manage to keep my volume discreet. Can you?" He teased as his lips moved over her jaw and up to her ear. "Now, why don't you have a seat so that I can enjoy my treat?"
Margaery smirked as she slowly sat down. "Mmm, naughty." She whispered. "But very well, as long as you're sure you won't spoil your dinner…I can't promise to keep quiet, however."
Hannibal smirked as he slowly knelt down and began to shift her skirts up slowly. He began to nip and nibble along the inside of her thighs. "Mmm…then we will find out how discreet our guests are about hearing us."
Chapter 28
Sansa was staring off against a wall as she absently pat over her pup's head. There was a dark blush upon her cheeks as what she had just seen kept playing over and over again in her mind. She had heard odd sounds coming through one of her walls and had gone to investigate. She had not expected to find a tunnel that led to the Lord and Lady Bolton's bedroom. She wished she had not looked inside, but she did. Sansa had never seen a man do those kinds of things to a woman before. Her blush darkened at the memory of how pleased Margaery looked with her husband's head between her thighs...
The knock at the door startled Sansa from that train of thought. She went to open the door and found her blush darkening when she saw Margaery and Hannibal standing before her door. Gods…they didn't see her did they? She bit her lower lip out of nervousness.
Margaery smiled. "Sansa, dinner is ready."
Hannibal stood by Margaery's side and kept his face relaxed and pleasant. Although, he did find the blush upon Sansa's cheeks to be quite odd. He would ask Margaery about it later, in private. He could feel how nervous Sansa was, but he worked to not make her more nervous.
Sansa gave a nod of her head and moved to leave her room. Thank the gods they did not appear to know that she had seen them. She breathed a small sigh of relief and visibly relaxed. Her new pup trotted after her without any prompting.
Hannibal gave a nod. "I see your pup follows you quite eagerly Lady Sansa. Have you chosen a name for her?" He asked as they began walking towards the dining hall.
Margaery released Hannibal's arm to take Sansa's instead. Sansa gave a slight jump, but smiled and glanced to Hannibal when he spoke to her. "Well, I would like to honor both my direwolf and my house…Winter seems a good name for her."
Margaery grinned. "Winter it is then. However, how shall we ever know whether you are repeating the words of your house, or telling us your pet is on her way?" She teased.
Sansa laughed at that and finally seemed able to relax for the first time since arriving at the Dreadfort. She felt like she could trust these Boltons at the very least.
Hannibal was observing all of Sansa's reactions to see what she might be thinking. He stored his observations away to discuss with Margaery later. He glanced over his shoulder and noted Littlefinger approaching. "Ah, Lord Baelish, I am glad to see that you were able to find your way to the dining hall."
They all took their seats in the great hall. Sansa was placed next to Margaery and Lord Baelish next to Hannibal. Hannibal was curious if Littlefinger would grow nervous with the continued separation, or if he was so confident with his 'control' over Sansa that he would not be concerned in the least.
The lemon cakes were served first along with some cheese and light wine. Sansa was happily surprised when the lemon cakes came out. It was comforting to eat and helped to settle her nerves even more.
Littlefinger thought nothing of the seating arrangement. He was hoping Sansa would learn a juicy secret from Margaery that he could use as leverage later. He was indeed quite confident with his hold over her for the moment. He felt as if he had a strong alliance with Hannibal, and was focusing upon what he would need to do to try and get Sansa to Winterfell. This meeting was going very well so far.
Margaery was happy to see Sansa at ease again. Her attention turned to Littlefinger. "Things are well at the Eyrie Lord Baelish?"
Hannibal sipped his wine, but was curious what Littlefinger would and would not reveal while they ate.
Lord Baelish cleared his throat a bit before nodding. "Indeed they are. The Lord of the Eyrie is now settled and ruling the Vale very securely. He has grown fond of his cousin and has pledged to come to her aid should she ever need it."
Margaery smiled and turned to Sansa. "Sansa, does that mean you plan on traveling back home to Winterfell?"
Sansa looked to Margaery with some degree of nervousness. "Well, yes but…Winterfell currently flies the Bolton banner."
Margaery sipped her wine and looked to Hannibal. The expression was one of insistence, but of course it was meant to make Littlefinger think his plan to play on their friendship was working.
Hannibal sipped his wine as Margaery set the board beautifully. He waited just long enough for
Littlefinger to believe he was struggling with his decision. "Lady Sansa, to an extent you are still being hunted. What better place to hide than behind a Bolton banner in your ancestral home, where you know every hall and secret passageway? I am willing to allow you to return to your home if you wish. As long as you promise not to interfere with my trusted Captain and his garrison."
Littlefinger's eyes danced with delight. Giving Sansa a toehold in Winterfell was exactly what he needed to achieve his end goals without having to confront Hannibal head-on.
Margaery squeezed Sansa's hand. "That's fair, right?" She tilted her head. "Taking back Winterfell and putting up the Stark banner will be an invitation for Cersei…and she still thinks you took a son from her."
Sansa listened carefully and then nodded. "Yes…yes, that is fair – you're right."She looked to Hannibal. "I am much obliged, my Lord."
Margaery smiled brightly. "I've met this Captain. He is quite kind and he made certain to dispatch any men that had followed Ramsay. You will find no enemies in your home."
Hannibal gave a bow of his head as he silently signaled to Margaery to give Sansa the opportunity to speak with the pair of them in private.
Lord Baelish was shaping up a new plan once Sansa accepted. She could use her looks to sway those, likely lonely, soldiers into abandoning Lord Bolton and following her commands. With a whole garrison she could begin to build an army easily…with the right persuasion from him of course.
A servant stepped forward and refilled all of the glasses. They discreetly slipped a drug into Littlefinger's cup that would cause him fatigue and to go to bed early. Hannibal spotted the drug being added and knew that they would only need to keep dinner going for another hour or so.
"Darling, when your Captain last reported, did he say that Winterfell had been cleaned to my specifications? We can't have Sansa going home to a dirty castle!" Margaery insisted.
Hannibal nodded his head. "Indeed he did."
...
Daenerys felt sick…again. The feeling was powerful and had her feeling absolutely miserable for days at a time. They had eaten a meal offered by the people and she had felt off ever since. There was of course concern that the food had been tampered with. However, all of her advisors had eaten the same foods as she had. It was odd that she seemed to be the only one affected.
While she felt so bad, she both enjoyed and loathed Jorah's company. It was nice to have him nearby if she was just too tired to move, but sometimes he was absolutely suffocating with how concerned he was over her health. She knew his intentions were pure, but sometimes she needed him to just leave her alone instead of bombarding her with questions.
At the moment he was out on an inspection of the city and meeting with the rest of the council to discuss the plans she had given him to present in her stead for preparations to leave Yunkai and travel to Mereen.
Missandei was with her and was dutifully working to keep her water glass full so the Khaleesi could rest. Missandei could not help the smile on her face as she helped Daenerys.
It was a bit infuriating. Daenerys looked a bit angry as she moved back towards her bed after throwing up once again. "I would enjoy hearing this joke you know that has a smile on your face." She snapped.
Missandei blushed lightly at being called out, but she did not seem the least bit upset at being scolded. "I apologize Khaleesi. I am very happy for you, how long do you intend to keep your secret?"
Daenerys looked at her in confusion and anger. "Why would you be happy when I am so miserable? To what secret are you referring?" She said as she slowly sat down on the bed.
Missandei's smile faltered for a moment before she bowed and stepped closer. Her voice dropped low and soft. "Do you not know what is causing this Khaleesi? I thought every woman knew when they began to be sick after eating..." She said as her eyes drifted down to glance at Daenerys' stomach.
Daenerys was still a bit angry, but that anger quickly melted away as she slowly realized what Missandei was saying. She stood again and moved to a mirror to look at herself and see if anything had changed yet. "How long has it been Missandei? Since the last time I…"
"12 weeks Khaleesi." Missandei answered quickly.
Daenerys turned to look at her before looking into the mirror once again. Her hands slowly moved to
touch over her belly. "That's impossible…" She whispered.
...
Sansa had realized during dinner that she had met Hannibal before. It was when he passed her a single lemon cake that the memory came back to her. She had been perhaps seven or eight years old, Theon had cornered her and was teasing her because of her red hair. Hannibal had held him by the throat and punched him hard enough to break his nose for being disrespectful to a lady. After Theon had run off, Hannibal had given her a lemon cake to calm her down before taking her back inside to her mother. He had been a ward of her father. She remembered watching him spar with her brother Robb for a few months before he returned to his own father - after he had beat Theon.
Sansa remembered this and hoped that perhaps he could be trusted. After dinner was over, Margaery whispered to Sansa that she would like to talk to her…without Littlefinger. She had told Sansa to go to the library after first going to her bedroom in case Littlefinger was watching. Sansa had followed those directions and took a seat within the library across from Hannibal and Margaery.
Margaery smiled to her. "I trust the library was easy to find?"
Sansa nodded her head. Hannibal gave her a bow of his own head in turn before addressing her.
"Your father was very kind to me when I stayed with your family. He taught me many things my own father never would have. I do apologize for what has happened to your family at the hands of my father. I intend to reverse what I can of the damage he has caused with his alliance with those hellish, inbred lions. When I killed Theon Greyjoy for his betrayal…I discovered that he had not killed your younger brothers. They had escaped him and are somewhere in the wilderness. My Captain has been looking for them and has orders to bring them back to Winterfell to be reunited with you. My Captain and his garrison are under your command as soon as you set foot in Winterfell. They are loyal men and will keep you and your siblings safe."
Hannibal paused a moment before continuing. "I intend to eliminate the Lannisters. Once that is done, your men will change the colors to the proper sigil and place the Stark colors over Winterfell once again. All I ask in return for all of this is that we start anew with our alliance. Just you and I."
Sansa was suspicious. Nothing that involved the game of thrones was as it appeared. Especially with a Bolton offering the deal. She sat up tall and looked directly at Hannibal. "All due respect Lord Bolton, why would you simply give me Winterfell? Especially if you plan on moving against the Lannisters. With what army do you plan on doing this? Why leave Lord Baelish out of the alliance?" She suspected that there was a condition that she help with the fight.
"Oh that last one is only too easy." Margaery spoke up. "Littlefinger can't be trusted, surely you've realized this? He wants Winterfell and the North for himself. He wants to use you to this end."
Sansa couldn't entirely argue with that. Even her mother never fully trusted Littlefinger.
Hannibal was impressed when Sansa sat up and asked those direct questions. "You are indeed your mother's daughter. I have both the Bolton and Tyrell armies at my disposal. Along with a few other houses who have pledged their houses to me. As for the battle itself, there is nothing I would ask of you Lady Sansa. Except the agreement that none in the North will rebel against me and attack my flank." He was only asking for her to maintain control of her region. Not the easiest of tasks, but certainly not the most dangerous.
Sansa looked upon Hannibal with all the Stark ferocity in her eyes. "I can consent to that if it is truly your sole intention."
Hannibal decided to continue with his final arguments to sway her. There should always be a Stark in Winterfell. That is how it has been since the First Men. I would not have that changed because an incestuous whore wants her bastard son to wear the crown."
Sansa was quiet, and after a long moment she nodded. "Very well, what you have proposed is agreeable to me."
Hannibal smiled as he stood and extended his arm to Sansa to seal their agreement. "I am very glad to have the noble House Stark as an ally once more."
Sansa smiled and stood slowly. She reached her arm out to take his in turn and they shook their arms to seal the arrangement.
Margaery smiled and settled into the chair Hannibal had just left. "I'm so glad! And as I said, we cannot trust Littlefinger, and we need to keep him in the dark as much as possible."
Sansa nodded. "Of course." She had learned many things in her time at King's Landing. This was the best future she could possibly have for herself. This was a future that she could control. She had no intention of telling Littlefinger anything.