A/N: Sorry everyone, no shadowy murders as of yet! This chapter discusses the Northern approaches, some new threats, and a nice surprise that might turn the tides of the war a bit. Hope you all enjoy the chapter, and are ready for some action packed battles in the future!


MARGAERY XII

Little Rose,

The dragon prince and his envoy of golden, sun-kissed men have arrived to treat with the golden roses. It has been decided that a Great Council will be held at Bitterbridge in roughly two moons to offer the realm an opportunity to decide its future, and I would advise you to come negotiate the needs of the North. The little lady has also informed me that the boy shares a strong resemblance to the hidden wolf up North, and the vipers truly believe the dragon prince is truly the sun's son - perhaps this is something to follow up on.

The fat rose is attempting to seize the riches of the oversized cats by using the hunter's arrows and aiming them West in the shade of the tree. Only the fear of mountains stop the fat rose from claiming the land entirely. Thankfully, I have stopped the young rose from joining him, as he is preparing to be wedded at the Great Council as well.

I am also entrusting you with a few of my most loyal servants, to join you when you arrive to negotiate for the wolves, and to begin your creation of your own network of informants. It is long past time for you to begin the process to truly succeed me and carry on our work and grow strong.

Stay safe,


As I trudged southward with a war camp at my back, it almost seemed almost idyllic, I mused, if not for the violence and bloodshed that was to follow. Grey Wind was a constant presence at my back, splitting his attentions between Robb and I, as Robb believed that I needed the protection of a direwolf alongside guards at my back if I were to go south to assist him in ushering a rebellion and solidifying alliances to make sure that we crushed the Lannisters. Robb had even considered asking Jon to act as my sworn shield during our trip South, but I vehemently disagreed, knowing that Jon's skill was needed directly on the battlefield alongside his brother's.

In canon, perhaps, the Northern forces may have been seemingly desperate in their desire to free Ned, Sansa, and Arya, without the peace of mind of other forces joining them, but with a strong marriage at his back and the potential of southern allies, anyone intelligent enough to read the signs knew the Lannisters were on the back foot, and even possibly finished, if Tywin Lannister couldn't find a way to make another rendition of the Rains of Castamere.

A war, then, was not the only thing to think about, and in all honesty, knowing the budding military genius that my husband would be, armed with my otherworldly knowledge, I wasn't too worried about the war. I would, as my grandmother would say, "let the menfolk focus on the fighting and sieging", and use my time towards more useful pursuits in preparation for the War for the Dawn.

First, I would need to orchestrate a grand alliance alongside my grandmother, to sweep the Lannisters off the field with superior numbers, and allow Robb the men and the movement to claim victories to his name with greater resources. That step was already in place, as the current plan was the aim southward to Bitterbridge to rendezvous with my family, and create a powerful alliance of Tyrell, Stark, Martell, and Targaryen that would squarely place Aegon VI on the throne. I still was unsure of Aegon VI's identity, but it really didn't matter so long as Prince Doran believed it, and used it to secure Sunspear. Targaryen loyalists would need confirmation that Aegon VI was "real", and how much more "real" could he get if his maternal uncle declared that he was the true Aegon VI Targaryen?

Second, I would focus on base-building in the North to secure ourselves should we need to declare independence. The North would become the most crucial battlefield towards surviving the Long Night, and I would need to make sure that the Northern economy was fully leveraged to begin producing supplies and men to fight in the War for the Dawn. I also knew that Littlefinger's economic manipulations had well and truly screwed over the South, and I did not envy Aegon VI's job fixing it; he would have to make use of plenty of gold to pay off debts accrued by the Iron Throne with Robert and Cersei's reckless spending, and Littlefinger was sure to set up traps that would further compound the issue as well if he was not killed quickly enough.

Aegon VI would need a strong queen to help him set the realm to rights, and there were only two real candidates to act as his Queen, given that Tywin and Stannis were not seizing the opportunity to unite the realm by uniting their daughters (or granddaughter, in Tywin's case) with Aegon VI's manpower. Either Daenerys Targaryen would marry Aegon and unite their claims, or Sansa would marry Aegon to create a strong alliance and to unite the North and Riverlands (once Edmure Tully finally read the signs and saw a chance to claim the Westerlands through his children after we were done with the Lannisters).

If Aegon VI was a fake that was dangerous enough to warrant a change in kings, or Aegon VI was assassinated, we would simply bow to the dragon queen (and if need be, betray Aegon VI to ensure that we were protected). That, or raise up Jon Snow as king, despite his protests, to ensure that we would have a stable king on the Iron Throne in time for the War.

Besides, the little gift we found deep in the crypts of Winterfell will help us make it easier to play kingmaker as well. I can't believe those theories were right.

I thought back to the surprise we had found the night before we had left for war in the crypts of Winterfell, my lips curving upward into an impish grin at the thought.


We had stayed late that night, after a long meeting with my godmother and Maester Luwin in order to discuss final preparations for the North as Robb and I went off for war. Robb and I were walking back to our room, his hand on my hip, as we were just quietly chatting.

"...which is why Garlan and Talla's impending nuptials aren't surprising, but rather, to be expected - my brother truly has a habit of falling for the wrong women, it seems," I was explaining.

"In the same way that you have a habit of falling for the wrong men? Perhaps it truly is a family trait." Robb teased, before absentmindedly kissing my forehead.

"Are you calling yourself the wrong man to fall for, Robb Stark?" I replied, equally as teasing. He smirked and leaned his head towards my ear.

"Want me to prove it?" he whispered.

My cheeks turned red, as I lightly swatted at him, causing him to laugh at me.

"Watch it, Stark, we're leaving for war tomorrow, don't you think-" I started before pausing, at the sight in front of me. Strangely enough, Jon was walking down towards the crypts, looking as though he were in a trance, with his eyes unfocused, and his direwolf following with its ears pulled back in alarm. Grey Wind, who had been following Robb and I, barked at Ghost and immediately ran to him.

"-actually, hold that thought, love, I think we need to follow Jon." I said, worriedly. Robb exchanged a look of confusion with me, before he saw Jon, Ghost, and Greywind, and then nodded.

We followed Jon for a bit, watching as he seemingly paid no care to his surroundings, walking like a man possessed towards the crypt doors. At this hour of the night, not even the guards were stationed at the crypt doors, and so nobody else noticed us as we followed Jon to the crypt doors. As Jon opened the doors, Robb caught up to him and tapped him on the shoulder, and Jon nearly jumped back in surprise at Robb's touch.

"Jon? Are you alright?" Robb murmured softly. "What are you doing up?"

"I…" Jon stammered, clearly not expecting to be caught. "I just...needed to be down here tonight. There's something..."

Robb raised an eyebrow at Jon's wording, but after looking at Jon's state further, and at how unfocused he was, it was clear to me that there was some compulsion encouraging Jon to follow to the crypts, so I grabbed three torches, lit the flame, and handed one to Jon and one to Robb..

"There must be a reason we need to be down here tonight," I said quietly to both men, giving Robb a significant look in order to better convey my point. "Perhaps we should find out now what is causing this….compulsion."

Jon nodded jerkily, clearly influenced by the compulsion, and Robb sighed, before opening the crypt doors. We both followed Jon as he walked further and further down the crypt, lighting the torches along the way.

"Why are we following him, love?" Robb asked curiously. "Is this related to your-"

"No, love," I affirmed quietly as we followed Jon, who seemingly was so focused on his task that he did not even notice our presence. "This is related to the magic in his blood. If the theories are correct, perhaps we will happen upon something useful."

Jon at this point seemed guided by divine motion, effortlessly leading the two of us along a part of a crypt so dusty and dark that I could not help but cough. I could suddenly understand how Bran and Rickon managed to stay hidden in the crypts in canon - the 8000 years of history that pervaded the crypts meant that there was so much space and so many Stark ancestors that it was easy for one to get lost in. If Jon hadn't known exactly where to go, no doubt that we would be lost in the lower crypts.

Eventually, after a long walk downwards, and an instance of Robb exchanging an especially worried look at me, Jon abruptly stopped and pointed his torch at a certain wall, causing Grey Wind and Ghost to bark fiercely.

"I need….I need…" Jon murmured softly, clearly lost in the throes of his trance.

"What do you need, Jon?" Robb interrupted him softly, clearly watching his brother apprehensively. The direwolves had seemingly jolted his alarm even further, but he soldiered on, regardless.

"...something to bash the wall," Jon continued to murmur. "...something wrong here, false wall."

I nodded quietly, lifting from my skirts the hidden dagger I always carried on my person.

"Jon, use this, but be careful." I said quickly, but Jon was too deep in his trance to listen to my words, because he used the pommel of his dagger to bash the wall, causing the false stone to collapse. The cloud of dust caused all three of us to cough pretty violently, but after the brief coughing spree, Jon continued to walk down the path, his trance seemingly unhindered.

As we went further and further down the hidden door, the area began to get warmer and warmer, contrasting the cold I had grown used to expecting. The area, to my surprise, grew stiflingly hot, and almost volcanic, which was a shock, considering where Winterfell was placed. Eventually, we reached a room with a hot spring in the middle of the room in a completely circular pattern. The three of us stood there in shock, with Jon still deep in his trance.

Curious, I put my fingertips in the water to test the temperature. HSSS! The steam rose and the contact between my fingertip and the water burned me - it was certainly far too hot for anyone to swim in without being burnt in the process.

Robb casually leaned against the wall, and suddenly, he jerked as if struck, clutching his head. I could see the whites of his eyes, and I knew then that he was in a greenseer-induced trance as well. Shit, shit shit, what do I do? I worriedly put my arm next to my husband as he went through his visions, and I knew then and there that he would be "out" for quite some time.

"Dragons," he murmured, "but sometimes not. Fire cannot burn a dragon."

What did Robb mean by that? If I was the only semi-lucid person in the room, I was going to get us out with my wits. Robb told me in the past that his visions relied on possibility, which meant that there was a possibility for a dragon, or at least, an egg here, and it would explain why Jon was in his trance. Only one way to find out, I guess.

"Jon, touch the water with your fingertips. Tell me how it feels." I commanded my goodbrother.

He touched the water quickly, with his hands, and he pulled them back. There was no flinch of pain, no reaction to the water - just...as if he had been dipping his hand in a stream.

"Warm," Jon said quietly, and that was the end of that.

"This is going to sound crazy, Jon, but…." I stated hesitantly. Was this a good idea to do in the middle of the night?

"Dive in the water?" Jon finished tonelessly.

"And look for something at the bottom, yes. You should probably, er….strip to the bare essentials then," I said, even more hesitantly. "Your clothes might either be wet or burnt. I'll...look away."

He gave my dagger back to me, and then nodded, giving me a signal to turn away and stare at my husband, who had, at this point, looked overwhelmed by his vision. I laid his head gently on my lap, smoothing over his hair as I watched guard over him. Grey Wind, who had been standing over the door, snuffled and curled up to me and Robb, watching over my husband, and after a few seconds, I heard a splash and felt a rush of steam as Jon dived headfirst into the hot spring.

I honestly don't know how long the wait was, watching my husband settle through his visions, and waiting for my good brother to get out of the steaming hot water he had dove into. Eventually, after murmurs and whisperings of "Valyria" and so on, Robb's eyes receded back into the blue that I loved so much, and he grinned at me, lifting one of his hands to cup my cheek.

"I saw something," he replied somewhat goofily, and I rolled my eyes at my husband, before he got up and we exchanged a kiss anyway.

"Jon's still in the pool. I think…" I began, but Robb cut me off.

"He's back!" Robb said excitedly. "Oh, but you should probably look away for a bit, love."

Evidently, the springs had burned through all of Jon's clothing with the heat in the pool. We gave Jon a moment to redress and compose himself, and once I looked back, my goodbrother, dripping with steaming hot water, held two stone-like eggs triumphantly in his hands.


Eventually, we arrived at Moat Cailin, ready to begin our march towards Riverrun. Robb effortlessly distributed his levies around the Moat at a defensive position, situating himself at the Gatehouse Tower, and commanding for Lord Umber and Lord Karstark to take the other two towers.

We had been told by Lord Wylis Manderly, according to Robb, that Manderly forces would be joining us at Moat Cailin, and evidently, our timing had been perfect, because Manderly forces had arrived around the same time that we had, which meant Robb had to also redistribute his levies.

Not only that, however, there was another source of commotion. Apparently, Ser Brynden Tully, one of the foremost battle commanders of the Seven Kingdoms, had managed to arrive with the Manderly levies, ready to assist his grand-nephew.

"You must be Ned and Cat's son, Robb!" the Blackfish said, as he was summoned before Robb and I in a private council. "And you must be Lady Margaery, then."

"Ser Brynden, it is good to have you here. Thank you for joining us. We have need of men of your courage." Robb stated formally, as I curtsied.

"None of that, lad, it's 'Uncle Brynden' for both of you, and I'll have no word otherwise, you hear?" Ser- no, Uncle Brynden replied.

"Yes, Uncle Brynden." Robb answered.

"Ser- I mean, Uncle Brynden, how did you arrive with the Manderly forces? The last we had heard, you had arrived in Riverrun after our wedding. We had also heard that Riverrun had declared neutrality," I noted. "Has something changed, then?"

His face darkened considerably. "Tywin Lannister is what changed, niece. Edmure and Hoster are hostages in all but name, now, to those Lannister bastards, and all because of the snake that Edmure had invited into his bed. I barely escaped, and I'm sure those soldiers are still looking for me now."

Robb began to pale. "You don't mean-"

The Blackfish nodded. "Yes, Riverrun, and the Riverlands have been taken by the Lannisters in all but name, while playing at neutrality. Tywin Lannister means to trap us and destroy the Northern coalition through the guise of neutrality."

I shuddered. "If we had marched into the Riverlands blindly, then…"

The Red Wedding flashed into my mind, as thoughts of the massacre I had seen on the show played on my mind. Yet, this time, it would be very real, and my husband and I, the victims.

"Who controls the Twins, Uncle Brynden?" I asked, sharing a look with Robb.

"Ser Emmon Frey, alongside his Lannister wife." Uncle Brynden answered lowly, confirming both of our worst fears. "They summoned a host in order to 'clear the war', though if you were to ask me, it was solely to place the rat at the head of the Twins."

Shit. That was really bad. Even if the Twins had been devastated through civil war, the Twins had become a Lannister outpost that would need to be destroyed in order to resolve the war. Many members of House Frey would likely pass in the chaos as well.

"Then we have need of your expertise, Uncle Brynden," Robb stated, "Because that means we now have to free Grandfather and Uncle Edmure as well."

Uncle Brynden looked at me curiously.

"Niece, have you heard any news from your family?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered slowly. "Grandmother is organizing a Great Council to be held at Bitterbridge about two moons from now, and I will need men with me to help me negotiate the needs of the North, and the Riverlands. Father and Lord Tarly are assaulting the Westerlands through Goldengrove, and are presumably putting pressure on Tywin Lannister that way, but they're worried about the Mountain burning through the Reach."

Robb nodded in agreement, having already heard the news from me. Our original plan had been to storm through the Riverlands into Bitterbridge with our forces and join up with my father's army to free Ned and Bran and presumably play kingmaker as well. Given that Stannis would not attack until the Red Comet, it seemed as though we had time to orchestrate that alliance before everything went nuts, though I did not know how long.

Uncle Brynden nodded, furrowing his brow and putting his hand to his cheek in a "thinking position".

"This will be the perfect time to strike, lad. We cannot bypass the Twins, but we can prepare to fight."

Robb's eyes sparkled with emotion, seemingly coming into agreement.

"We will call a council now, then. Let us liberate Riverrun and storm King's Landing to free Father and Bran."


Ending A/N: Just adding a note to clarify the confusion - Robb's meeting with Brynden occurs the exact same day that Ned's execution and the subsequent riots occur, so expect to see the North finding out the news sometime when they reach the Riverlands. Next - the Battle of the Twins!