I think now it's a good time to clarify a few things. I won't retread what the show did, unless I can think of an interesting way to frame it. Or more interesting, to be precise. So I might skip a few scenes. Sam at the Citadel is definitely a skip. Cersei and Jaime are more complex. I'll have to add one of them in the future. Possibly.
But I won't follow every single character. My original draft was actually just about Jon and Dany (despite the Jonsa earlier on - sorry, they just look too good together), since they're my favorites. My main interest in Tyrion and Sansa was more as an external POV into whatever those two did.
However, the story grew beyond that scope. The ending is still mostly about the Targaryens. I just really enjoyed writing for Sansa and Tyrion, so they got more stuff to do.
Alright, that's enough foreplay. Back to the action.
16 - Letters - Sansa
"Are you sure it's him?" Sansa asked, looking over the letter again. Maester Wolkan had brought them three different scraps of paper, each with a different message. She was holding the one from Tyrion Lannister, claiming to speak for Daenerys Targaryen and offering an alliance against Cersei.
They were in the solar, after she had made sure to lock the doors and check for any sign that someone might be listening. She was fairly certain they were safe, though all this secrecy was starting to weigh on her. Maybe Jon was right. Perhaps we should reveal everything before something happens.
"Aye." Jon replied. "Tyrion has a way with words." Was all he said, leaving her to wonder which words gave the man away. Doesn't matter.
"Fine, it's him." She waved the letter. "If we're to believe this, Daenerys Targaryen has landed on Dragonstone." She then picked up one of the other scraps. "And this man," She checked the name again. "Samwell Tarly. He says there's a massive deposit of dragonglass in that island." Sansa didn't believe in coincidences. "You know him too?"
Jon smiled. "There's no man I trust more than Sam. He wouldn't lie about something this important." He walked closer and put his hands on her shoulders. "Sansa, this is the opportunity we've been waiting for."
She nodded. "Dragonstone. We should send someone there." She was considering the possibilities. Brienne? No, I might need her here. Who else? "Ser Davos has spent a long time there. Perhaps he'd be willing to go."
Jon frowned and stepped back, looking down. There's that feeling again. He's about to say something stupid. "I think I should go." He said, avoiding her eyes.
Sansa fought the urge to laugh. "Jon, you're the king. You can't leave your people." She hated when she needed to state the obvious. He should know this.
He raised his eyes to meet hers. "Ser Davos might be good with words, but he never saw them. Never fought them. If anyone can convince Daenerys to help, it will be me." Daenerys? How familiar.
She sighed. "I know you want to meet your aunt, but please think about this. If you reveal your parentage, she might consider you a threat. And even if you don't, you're still in open rebellion as the King in the North." She said, slowly. She loved her brother, but her patience was wearing thin. Why do I have to keep reminding him of things he should already know?
He shook his head. "Sansa, if we want this alliance to work we'll need to trust her. If I go there myself, it sends a better message."
"She could kill you." She said, quietly. The rumors surrounding the dragon queen weren't very encouraging. Apparently, she had her own brother killed. What would she do with her nephew?
"I don't think Tyrion would agree to that. If he's her Hand, he should have some influence over her decisions." She opened her mouth to argue, but he kept talking, "At most, they'll keep me as a hostage to force your hand. But even that could prove useful. The longer they keep me there, the more time I'll have to convince them." He set his jaw and she could tell he wouldn't change his mind.
"Fine, you'll go." She gave up. There's no reasoning with him when he gets like this. "Just be careful. Don't reveal anything before you're sure you can trust her." He nodded, and she turned her attention to the final letter. "We should talk to Lord Reed."
The letter was from Castle Black. Eddison Tollett had thanked Jon for the new arrivals and informed them about the repairs. He had also mentioned other visitors.
"I'll go talk to him. He'll be glad to know his daughter is safe." Jon said, moving towards the door.
"With Bran." She still remembered how happy they were when they had read the letter for the first time. Bran is coming home! The last time she saw her little brother he had been lying in bed, unconscious. A lifetime ago.
Jon turned around to look at her. "I hope he gets here before I leave. We can't afford to waste time." His expression was determined, but she knew him well enough to see beyond that.
"You could wait, you know." She offered, hoping to get more time to convince him to drop this foolish idea. "From what the letter said, they would be leaving Castle Black soon after Lady Reed regained her strength. It shouldn't take long."
"I'll think about it." He replied, before opening the door to leave. That's better than nothing, I suppose.
Sansa was watching Jon spar with Brienne. They were both excellent fighters. While Brienne was strong, Jon was quick enough to dodge her powerful swings and counter with his own. Most of their previous encounters had ended in a draw, but this time Jon was trying to wield two blades at once. Why would he do that? She wondered, after seeing him fall for the third time.
"Do you have a moment, my lady?" Littlefinger's quiet voice made her turn away from the training yard.
She held the urge to sigh. "Lord Baelish. What is it?"
"Have you given any thought to what we discussed earlier?" He asked, keeping his voice as low as possible.
"Yes." She hesitated, trying to figure out how to keep him satisfied without fully committing to anything. "I suppose it's a good plan."
He smiled. "Good. I've already started laying a few seeds I hope will grow soon." She frowned slightly, and he added, "Don't worry. You won't have to do anything yet. Just be ready when the time comes." And with that, he left.
She briefly wondered what those seeds were, as she watched him walk away to meet Lord Glover and a few others near the South Gate. It would be difficult to counter his moves if she didn't know them. I need spies, she decided. In King's Landing, every servant had been spying for someone. Lord Varys seemed to have more than everyone else, but Cersei and Littlefinger also had several people in their employ.
But the North isn't the South, a small inner voice warned her. Northerners were prouder and less likely to accept this kind of service. The easiest solution would be to find his spies and convince them to work for her.
"Finally!" She heard Jon's voice and turned to see what happened.
Brienne was down, her sword a few feet away and a surprised expression on her face. Sansa walked to meet them, as Jon helped Brienne to her feet.
"Thank you, Your Grace." The tall woman said, picking up her sword. "I didn't expect that last move. Where did you learn that?"
"Beyond the Wall." Jon smiled. "I'm not that used to fighting with two blades, but I've seen some freefolk do it." He twirled the blunt swords. "I thought it'd be easier. It was a challenge just to keep up with you. I guess I'll need more practice."
"Anytime, Your Grace." Brienne bowed. "My lady." Sansa nodded, and the woman left them to meet Podrick.
"Why were you using two swords in the first place?" She asked her brother.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I figured it might be useful. I do have two swords now." Dark Sister. Does he truly mean to use it?
"Jon, you can't use that sword." She kept her voice low, trying not to attract attention. "What if someone asks you how you got it? You're not a good liar, so don't even try it."
"I know, I know…" He replied, looking tired. "But someday I won't have to live in a lie anymore, and when that day comes I should be ready." He sounded bitter.
"Have you spoken to Lord Reed?" She decided to change the subject.
Jon moved to pick up his cloak and Longclaw, putting the blunt swords away. "He seemed to know what I was going to say before I said it. That man is wiser than he lets on."
"What do you mean?" She did get that feeling when they first met. Lord Howland Reed had intense eyes.
"He already knew his son was dead." Jon replied, sadly. "He said Jojen had green dreams." She frowned, and he explained, "Visions of future events. That's why he didn't follow Robb south, and why he sent Jojen and Meera to help Bran."
He could have warned us. "Visions… Did he mention anything else?"
"Well, he's agreed to help me with something." She arched her eyebrows. He sighed and continued, "Apparently I can warg into Ghost, but I can't control it. He's going to train me."
"Warg? What's that?" She had never heard the word before.
"It's a bit complicated. Basically, it means I can send my mind into Ghost's body and experience the world through him. It usually happens at night, when I'm sleeping. I thought it was a normal dream, until I met a warg beyond the Wall." His expression hardened. "He used to warg into an eagle to scout ahead. After I'd killed him, the eagle attacked and gave me these scars." He pointed to his face.
White walkers, dragons, green dreams, wargs… When had life become a song? "And Lady Alys? Have you seen her?" She turned the conversation back towards something she could understand.
"Aye. She seemed… eager to continue our relationship." He was avoiding her eyes.
Of course. The woman could be queen. And, if her screams were any indication, she would be rather happy in other ways too. Unbidden images floated in her mind, and she shook her head to push them away, blushing slightly.
"How about you? Do you want to continue?" She should have asked that sooner. Alys Karstark was a good match, but he shouldn't be forced to marry someone. Nobody should be forced to marry anyone against their will.
He paused for a moment, raising a hand to his chin. "I don't know, I barely know the woman." He said, scratching his beard. "It's just nice to have some company, I guess." He sighed. "I've grown used to waking up alone, but ever since my…" His death. She knew he didn't like to talk about it. "Ever since then, I've been having trouble sleeping." She couldn't even imagine what dying must feel like, but her own nights had been troublesome of late. Some scars don't heal.
"I see." She tried to understand. "So... she helps you sleep?" Something about that felt wrong. "Jon, you shouldn't use her. Lady Alys is probably hoping you'll marry her someday. Promise me you'll make things clear before you continue to… sleep with her."
He nodded. "You're right. I promise."
The wheels are in motion. Next chapter should be pivotal.
The date is 19/05/2019 (finale, baby!)