The Darkness of Day

by WalkingPotterGirl14

He put a dagger in her heart. She died. End of story. Or was it? The Gods decide that there's more to tell, more to save, and more heartbreak to follow in the story of Daenerys and Jon's lives, starting with new revelations right outside their doors. (Rated T until chapter 26, Fix-it Fic, obvious spoilers for the show)

36. Jon: The Trial

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the great response on the last chapter! Thank you to:

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Thank you guys so much for your awesome reviews - they really pushed me to write this chapter as quickly as I could for you so thank you so much! Also holy crap we reached 300 reviews! I'm losing my mind. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much! Welcome to the new follows and favorites and I hope you guys enjoy the adventure. This chapter is purely trial and a little bit of fun stuff near the end. I hope you guys enjoy! I'm really proud of how it turned out :)

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Jon

Out of everything in his life, Jon had never thought he would be in court. Well, there were a lot of things he never thought he would get the chance to do, or even experience. Being with Daenerys was one of them. Having children was second. Being a king was obviously a third. But staring down the face of his enemies right now as he sat on a throne – yeah, that definitely topped the list.

He had been speaking with Daenerys about this for weeks, how he would even approach something like this, and she had assured him it would process through three different phases. The first would be the accused would speak, and then the witnesses of their crimes, and once they collectively decided what to do, that would be the decision.

Of course, they both knew exactly what they were going to do. All of this was just for show for the Valyrian people for them. But the least Jon could do was make it feel like they had a vote.

As he stares at the doors opening, while the guards drag in the prisoners, there were shouts in the audience of dragonlords and commoners alike. Some would shout 'filthy scum!' and others would yell loud expletives, filling the throne room with unusual darkness that Jon had not experienced in a long time.

He watched as Magar set the king down in the first booth, who was cursing and yelling back at the people beyond the seats, while Saeresa sat down quietly, staring up at Jon and Daenerys. He hated seeing that look she was giving them. It felt so unhinged. It felt like there was something brewing in her mind that needed to be stopped.

And he supposed they were the ones that needed to stop it.

Jon and Daenerys suddenly stand, causing the whole room to quiet down and pay attention to them, standing as well. It was amazed him…this power. He had never thought he would have this type of power where as soon as he or someone he cared about stood, the rest of the room just quieted down and listened to him. In the past, he had always been the bastard, the low-life no one wanted to speak to because why waste their time?

But here, he meant something.

He looks over at his children, who sat in the front row. Dan and Daemon were huddled close together, watching with bated breath for what would happen, while the Galeron's sat behind them, their eyes looking at their parents uneasily. He knew this would be strange for them, but the children had said they wanted to be there, and who was he to not grant their request?

He turns his gaze back to the monarchs. Aenar was glaring up at him hatefully, muttering under his breath, while Saeresa was still as quiet as the sea. The guards stood ready at hand if something were to happen. He looks at Daenerys, who nods at him to start. With that, he turns his eyes back to the monarchs.

"Let the court be known that this will be a fair trial," he starts out, moving his gaze back to the people. "We will listen to the accused, the witnesses, and draw conclusions from there. At no point do we want outbursts of any kind. If we can move this along, this should be quick." He takes a seat as does Daenerys, and the rest of the room sit.

He looks back to the prisoners, before saying what he wanted to for so long.

"Aenar and Saeresa of House Galeron," he begins. "You stand accused of murder and the planning of the burning of the people of Valyria. You stand accused of abuse against your family. You stand accused of starving your prisoners, for days on end, until someone had to come and save them…how do you answer these charges?"

Aenar thrashes from where he stood, letting his eyes stare at slits at Jon. "I plead not guilty for the sake of the people," he snarls.

"For the sake of the people?" Daenerys asks from her seat. Her voice had inched up an octave at the shock. "You were planning on burning your people."

"Like you have any right in saying no to that, Ash Queen!"

The crowd instantly begins to yell again. Jon rolls his eyes and yells out "Silence!" And within seconds, everyone quiets down. He turns his gaze to where Aenar sat. "While you may have your opinions about the current ruling monarchs of Valyria, we ask that you keep them to yourself unless you are called upon."

"You little-"

"Saeresa," Daenerys interrupts, probably causing Aenar's face to turn an even darker shade of red than it already was. "How do you plead these charges?"

Saeresa was quiet. Her hands jingled with the chains that were secure around her wrists while she rests them against the edge of the booth. "I can say I'm not guilty – but will you believe it?" she mutters. "I believed what I was doing was the right decision. A return to the world of Valyria as it once was. That many people have wanted. And I was willing to hurt whoever I had to, to get there."

Daenerys lets back in her throne, letting her hands itch at the sides of it. "Even your own children?"

Saeresa lets her head rest against the booth. "I love my children. I loved Nesara and Zaevar."

"What about Mae?" Jon instantly asks.

"I never had anger towards her. I couldn't allow her to keep up with the tradition the Galeron's had to offer. It was all based on the past."

"And yet you allowed your husband to abuse them, and put one of your children into a mental state of a maiden."

Saeresa lets her chest drop. "I know I should have approached the situation differently…I'm not an idiot. But I will never regret trying to make Valyria great. What you are doing right now is exactly what I had planned to do. Except-"

"Except we aren't willing to risk the safety of our people for our vision," Jon states, causing Saeresa to quiet. "We've heard enough from you two." He looks over at Daenerys and nods, and she looks to the crowd.

"The crown calls the witnesses of Magar and Laemon of the King's Guard to the stand on the charge of abuse and burn-planning," she states.

The two knights who had stayed by their side so willingly stepped forward in front of the prisoners to the witness stand, both still clad in their armor in case something were to happen. Magar's family were in the stands, and Jon could see that his wife was watching with a satisfied smile seeing her husband accuse the monarchs.

"Magar and Laemon," Daenerys starts, smiling at them. "I must first say you two have done an excellent job at keeping the king and I protected and safe within our walls. We are utterly grateful for your continued service to the crown."

Both bow their heads, with Magar speaking first. "It is our pleasure, my queen."

"Same here," Laemon states. Magar nudges his side and the younger knight grunts, before blushing slightly. "My queen," he adds on after a moment.

Jon holds back a laugh. He had learned that Laemon was more laid back as a guard, but he still did his job in serving them as the others did. With Magar, he was so devoted, and he knew every time Laemon said something that wasn't normal to say to nobility he would get angry.

"It's alright," Daenerys chuckles before leaning forward in her chair. "You two have served the old monarchs for a while – Magar for years and Laemon for a little bit." Both nod. "How long were Saeresa and Aenar planning on the eruption of the volcano?"

"Oh, for years," Magar states from where he stood. "I could even remember hearing them speak about it on my first day as a guard. It was never as intense as it was the day it happened, but there's no doubt in my mind that they were aiming for something like this."

Daenerys nods. "What about you, Laemon? Did you ever overhear what they planned?"

"Once or twice," he responds. "The first time it was overhearing them speaking to Magar directly. The second was when she spoke to you."

Daenerys raises an eyebrow. "Magar, they spoke to you about this?"

"Yes. They wanted me to keep guard in the castle while they initiated their plan. While I never agreed with what they were planning, they swore that if I stayed by them, my family would be safe from the fire."

Daenerys nods. Jon could understand why that Magar didn't leave then. He was always afraid for his family back home. "So you stayed by the side of these two for the sake of safety?"

"Yes, my queen. They have been planning this for years. It was only because of you being here that they initiated it so quickly."

Jon raises up in his seat when he hears that, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean when we arrived?"

Magar shares a look with Laemon and nods at him to tell whatever story they had. Laemon sighs and steps forward so his voice could be heard.

"The king and queen always had this meticulous plan that they would wait until another generation of Galeron's were born from Zaevar and whomever they had planned him to marry, whether that be his sister or another dragonlord." Zaevar raises an eyebrow from where he stood, clearly disgusted at the idea. "As you both can see, he's still young. They were going to wait longer, but after you arrived, they could feel their power slipping."

Jon turns his gaze to where Aenar sat, his eyes still glaring daggers at him. "Oh really?"

"Really," Magar states, continuing the story. "When you didn't burn in the throne room, they knew they had to rush things. People here believe in the prophecy of the chosen ones for good reason…but the king and queen never did. They even talked about it in passing about how it was all just a bunch of fairy tales and hogwash. They only acted like that to gain your trust for the time being."

"We never trusted them," Daenerys points out from where she sat. "We only hoped they wouldn't harm our children…and I suppose that amounted to some form of an understanding."

"Be it as it may," Magar continues. "They knew that in order to succeed in what they were planning, they needed to do it as soon as possible. They had just been infiltrated by two unburnt Targaryens, a son who could heal, and a daughter who had the power of fire sorcery. It was threatening their very family. So they started to rush plans, to capture people and hoped they could be quick enough to kill you if not with lava, then with the damage that would come. That way, no one would question their rule."

"So, not only were they planning to kill the rest of Valyria – they were planning to kill us," Jon states, which caused the chamber to break out into hushed whispers of curses and anger.

Magar nods. "Yes, my king. Exactly that. They didn't want you here. The only reason Saeresa ever trained Daemon was that she was training him to be another healer like Nesara, so she could capture him and take him away. Why do you think she never showed up at Dan's lessons? She never cared."

Jon lets out a low breath, looking over at Daenerys. He could see anger starting to build up in her at the statements being made, but she moves her eyes to look over at him, and as soon as they connect with his own, it cools down to a small flame. They couldn't lose their temper, not in front of these people.

After a moment, she turns her gaze back to Magar. "Thank you for telling us," she says softly. "I suppose their rushed plans fell through then."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Laemon mutters, and Magar again nudges his side, causing him to grunt.

Jon chuckles a bit before he regains his composure, turning to Magar solely. "You also told us some harmful things that the queen and king have threatened to do to you in the past. Do you wish to share it with the court?"

"Yes, I do," Magar responds, before turning to the people. He shared a glance with the former king and queen, both of which look outraged at his voice, but he only continues. "When I first joined the watch to guard the king and queen, I did it out of necessity to provide for my family. But once I did join, Queen Saeresa threatened to have my family killed if I so much as went home to them….I was trapped within these walls for years, not feeling my wife's love, or seeing my children grow…it was torture. And if I dare leave her side, I would be condemned to death. She called it 'the guard's oath.' We devoted our lives to the cause of protecting the king and queen, no matter what we lost on the outside. No possessions. No family. Nothing but the armor on our backs."

The crowd murmurs and whispers, while throwing glances towards the former king and queen. Magar turns to Laemon, nodding at him to continue. The younger guard steps up.

"For people like me, it was a little simpler," he states quietly. "Some of you may know me. Some may not. In all honesty, a part of me hopes you don't because I used to be a thief. My family was never one that had many possessions, and most of them passed away before I could even turn of age. I had nothing, no one. But that didn't mean I didn't know how to survive. But one day, I was caught. Saeresa dragged me into the castle, and although I begged for forgiveness and promised I would never steal again, she and her husband had something else in mind – join the guard, or have my hands cut off. Obviously, I would go with the first. But no matter what happened, she would constantly threaten my life, whether that be because her food wasn't hot enough, or that she didn't feel she had enough troops…both of them. Joining the guard in the past used to be a brotherhood, a way of escaping your past and starting over, to give yourself a new life. And while I wasn't willingly brought in, I thought that was what it might be. But it has been nothing but constant fear."

Daenerys nods her head, intently listening, but when Laemon steps down from the stand, she straightens up in her chair. "So both of you can determine that working for the former king and queen brought about an issue of safety not just to yourself, but to the rest of your lives?"

"Yes," both of them state.

Jon nods and looks over to them. "Thank you…you may return to your posts." The two guards walk back. Jon turns his gaze back to the king and queen, both of which seemed to be angrier now. "Do you two have anything in defense to that?"

Aenar was fuming. Jon was sure that if it was possible, he would have smoke coming out of his ears. But Saeresa was the one to speak. "The guard's oath has been that way for years! People let go of their families and join to serve their lives for the king and queen!"

"There's something like that in Westeros. I was a part of it," Jon states, his hands resting on the edges of his seat. "It was called the Night's Watch. A brotherhood of men who joined to protect the realm from creatures beyond the Wall. But our families were never threatened to be killed. Our lives that we lived before could go on as they were as long as we were loyal. And if we did choose to stray, no one else we knew would get hurt – only us. But instead of being honorable, you decided to turn the wrong road."

"And how are you here now if you betrayed your Night's Watch, as you say?" Saeresa asks angrily. "Don't you have an oath for life?"

"I was killed by my brothers for doing something that I thought was good," he states bluntly. "Something that, in the long run, turned out to save us. Regardless, my watch ended years ago. My oath ended years ago when my life ended. I have every right to be here as much as the next person."

Saeresa scoffs, leaning in her booth. "…it…it doesn't matter anyway. His hands being threatened to be cut off is the standard practice in the Free Cities!"

"A practice that is barbaric," Daenerys interrupts from where she sat. "Just because something is commonplace doesn't mean it shouldn't be changed. If we had that state of mind, Meereen would be in ruins right now."

Saeresa goes to open her mouth but Jon raises his hands. "Your time is up. That's enough." The queen glares at him before descending back into her booth, her mouth twitching downwards. Jon looks to the crowd again. "The crown calls the witnesses of Kinvara and Vamon of the red priests of R'hllor."

The two red priests come up from the back, both walking as gracefully as they could. Many red priests stood around the outskirts of the room with their sleeves rolled up, guarding with their sorcery if something bad were to happen. Saeresa suddenly stands, glaring angrily at the two figures approaching the front.

"This is blasphemy. The red priests can't support one side or the other – they need to remain separate for the sake of the realm, or whatever it is they say!"

"That is when justice is being served properly," Vamon states from where he stood now. "There might be some sort of 'rule' in whatever religion you have chosen to follow, Saeresa, but red priests can align with whomever they want – they did for a while with Daenerys Targaryen. And now we align with the full family. And we will bring you to justice."

Saeresa goes to yell again but Jon slams his hand down on the edge of his throne, the loud sound causing most of the room to jump in surprise. "I said enough!" he snaps at her, standing up. "Either you behave and act appropriately for this trial, or I will end this with one quick word."

At that moment, a screech is heard from behind him, but Jon didn't need to turn his head to see Jonarys appear, his body perching on the edge of the throne room, looking in quietly. It seemed the commoners and the dragonlords weren't fearful of the dragon, but judging by the way Saeresa was staring at it, he knew she was.

He didn't care that they would going to kill her. He needed order. He needed her to just shut up and let this run. Because the sooner they finished this, the sooner they could be over.

"Your choice," he growls, his eyes staring her down.

Saeresa looks up at him, looking like she wanted to say something, but at the presence of his dragon right behind him, she sat down, her mouth shut. Jon lets out a deep breath before sparing a glance at Daenerys, who was looking at him in shock. He knew he would hear from her later about that threat but it had just slipped out.

"Alright," he states, sitting back down. "Let's continue. Kinvara and Vamon…you two have been serving the red priests for a long time, both of you even being around when original Valyria was here. Kinvara, I know that you were located in Volantis for much of your time, but Vamon – in all of your years, have you ever seen a king or queen like Saeresa and Aenar?"

"No," Vamon state, looking up at him. "There were times where we thought maybe something like what they were planning would happen, but it was never thought out to the extent of what they did. We have noticed in the past that their ancestors showed traits much as they did, but we personally believe that because of an added threat in the city, it caused theirs to activate."

"What traits?" Daenerys asks.

"Um, well…madness, I suppose. Power takes over the Galeron's – at least after a long time, it did."

Jon looks over at him, a question pondering in his mind. "Vamon, if you have been watching this family for years – centuries, even – and knew that something bad might come from this, why is it that you and your fellow red priests continued to allow the Galeron's to rule?"

Vamon sighs. "If you want an honest answer, it was out of fear, my king."

"Out of fear?" Daenerys asks, her voice loud. "You are a religion full of people who can magically wield fire to their will, and you're telling me that you were fearful of one family?"

"Your grace, you have to understand," Vamon states gently. "Times were very different hundreds of years ago. The Galeron's still had dragons that supported them, and many more people were loyal to their cause. We had no choice but to support them because who would red priests be against fire-breathing dragons? You of all people should know that. It was only the last couple of decades or so that we began to see a change – the change we wanted."

Jon was getting used to hearing that. Fear. Everyone never acted out of fear. He wondered himself what the Galeron's had done so often in the past to make these people fear them so much. "I see," he says gently. "And did you two know about their plan?"

"I did, my king," Kinvara states gently, while Vamon shakes his head.

"Vamon," Jon starts. "When did you learn about what happened?"

"When she captured me, my king," he states, looking over at where Saeresa was. "I always knew that they were scheming something, but I never thought to the degree that they pulled off. They came into the holy temple of our lord and threw some sort of powder that caused all of us to pass out. From there, they captured us and took us to the volcano, where we were told that if we didn't help her, we would die. There was an actual, fire-ridden, volcano in front of us. Many of us had no choice – not after seeing what they had done to Kinvara."

"That brings us to you," Daenerys responds, moving her eyes to the red priestess. "Kinvara…you have been a faithful servant to me for I don't know how long, and now to Jon as well. For that, I am thankful. But are you sure you're prepared to share this story with the rest of the court?"

Kinvara lets out a low sigh before nodding. "For the sake of the city, as well as the safety, I am. It's been a few months – and I've seen worse things. I think I can share it."

"By all means then, go ahead," Jon suggests, gesturing to her. "You have the floor."

Kinvara nods and turns her head to look directly at the court. "Some of you know me. Some of you don't. My name is Kinvara, a High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis – as well as Valyria. The Flame of Truth. The Light of Wisdom. A first servant of the Lord of Light – I'm also the king and queen's personal history novel."

"Guilty," Daenerys mutters but nods at her to continue.

"Either way," Kinvara chuckles, turning her gaze back to the people. "I have been around for hundreds of years, as have many priests before me. I have seen so many people come and go across this world, whether good or evil, with all of the gray areas in-between. But when it comes down to it, I haven't seen someone as sinister in the last hundreds of years that I have been alive than Saeresa and Aenar Galeron."

She takes a deep breath and swallows, before continuing.

"When we first arrived here, I was under the service of Daenerys Targaryen. As she said, I have been, for years. I have been abundantly loyal because I always believed that she was meant to rule, and guide people away from darkness. That didn't change when we came here. But as you know, I've always been a part of the red priests here. So, when I first came back, I wanted to visit them, to see how they were doing. It had been years since I had returned…Vamon, while he did not know about the plan, others did. They didn't know how to stop it, but they knew about it. And when I was walking through the tombs to visit the sights of former dead priests, I overheard their plan. I tried to get away, but one of Saeresa's guards caught me and threw me into the dungeons here."

She looks down at the ground, her hands gripping the edge of the booth she was speaking in.

"I was down there for six moons, surviving off of the scraps that they would feed me that for some reason, they thought could be classified as food. I understand why some didn't come for me, or some were confused as to where I went. For red priests, they were scared to face the king and queen. For the commoners and my house, they could have just assumed I was busy at work in the temple. But no matter how you look at it…I was tortured. For a long time."

Daenerys nods quietly. "And what did they do to you?"

"Oh, all sorts of methods to get me to break," Kinvara responds. "As I said, they starved me. They beat me. They stuck their weapons inside of me to hurt me. And all I had to do was promise them that I wouldn't tell you, but I refused. I never break….but those beatings nearly killed me. And they beat me all the way up until we were taken into that volcano, where I thought I was going to die."

"Would you say that you're better now, Kinvara?" Jon asks gently.

"Completely, my king," she states with a kind smile. "I wouldn't just say I'm better, but the whole of the city is better…now that the Galeron's have been taken down."

"You treacherous swine!" Aenar suddenly snaps from where he sat. "Your yourself endorsed the Galeron's hundreds of years ago!"

"I did. When they were good," Kinvara states calmly, refusing to lose her temper to the ill-tempered man. "The Galeron's used to be some of the best leaders and fighters Valyria had, a grand house with amazing dragons. But you dwindled. Your dragons died out from poor management, and your power will die with your house. You've been consumed by it, driven by it, and now it will be the way you die. I mean…how horrible of a person do you have to be when your own children don't want your last name?"

The man snarls at her, but two guards come over, restraining him back. Saeresa sighs from where she sat, glancing down at the ground. Jon shares a look with Daenerys, who was pondering what Kinvara said. "Thank you, Kinvara," Daenerys says gently, looking over at her. "You as well, Vamon. "Both of you may return to your seats. Thank you for your stories."

The two red priests nod and return back to where they sat. From where Daenerys sat, Jon reaches over and squeezes her hand, causing her to look up at him. He gives her a reassuring smile, letting her know that this was working out exactly how they wanted. And she lets out a breathless sigh, nodding.

After a moment, he turns back to the prisoners. Aenar was still glaring at him murderously while Saeresa was quiet, sitting in her booth. "Do you two have anything to say?"

And for once, neither speak.

"Good." He turns back to the crowd. "Let's move on with the next."

---

One by one, more people came up to testify against the king and queen, talking of the horrors they had committed. Vyana, the old woman who had made Daenerys' coronation dress, had said that the king and queen threatened to burn down her shop if she did not make them their own custom clothing. A butcher from in town said he was worked to the bone and nearly died due to lack of water when the king and queen hired him as a cook and refused to let him leave.

Many commoners came forward and complained of the things that the king and queen just didn't do, from their emptied promises to the beatings they would occasionally bring to people who 'went against their will.' One man had even said that the king and queen had taken their child by the throat and threatened to have their neck slit if they didn't do what they said, or followed their orders.

The more Jon listened to each person, the more hate-filled he grew towards the former monarchs. How was it that two people could cause so much pain, so easily? There were hundreds of people here, children, adults, elderly…all innocent and in need of someone to take care of them. It was no wonder that they were distrustful of them when they first arrived. They couldn't even trust their own leadership.

Jon hadn't wanted to become this way while listening to these stories. Of course he already hated the king and queen for what they had done, especially to his son and to Nesara, but hearing these stories…there was a certain part of him that he hadn't felt in a long time take over him, creeping up the edge of his neck and into his mind, devouring it, drowning him in it.

Rage. Pure rage. One he hadn't felt since finding out what his sister and brother had done to him.

When it started to become too much, he had called for an adjournment, much to the surprise of Daenerys. She had been under the impression that they would continue for as long as they needed until they reached the end, and everyone got to speak. But he just couldn't stand there. He needed a break. He needed to breathe before he pulled an Arya.

A part of him wished that it could be like the North. Where they didn't even bother to really have a trial and he could just walk up and slit their necks, just like Arya had done to Littlefinger. But he wasn't like that. He would never be like that. As long as his mind allowed it.

And as he sat in one of the studies, letting out some deep breaths with his head in his hands, he heard the door softly open and close. As soon as it shuts, he turns his head to see Daenerys, looking at him quietly.

"I'm sorry," he instantly states as she walks over to him. "I know we agreed to keep it going so we could get through it as quick as possible but every single time I looked at that man I just…I wanted to strangle him. I wanted to hurt both of them. And I couldn't sit in there with all these thoughts running through my head. I needed to…take a break. I couldn't tell you on the alter. I apologize if you were surprised."

Daenerys walks over to him, but while he was expecting her to reprimand him for suddenly-called a recess, she instead moves so that she sits on the edge of his knees, wraps her arms around his neck, and leans in, pressing her lips firmly against his, with more passion than he had been expecting. His hands settle on her hips as her fingers curl through his hair, tongues intertwining in a familiar dance of lovers. After a moment, she pulls back, resting her forehead against his.

"I…was not expecting that," he states, his voice blunt, causing Daenerys to chuckle. "You aren't angry?"

"Of course not," she snickers, shaking her head. "A little perplexed, yes, but I was going to propose we do the same."

His brow raises in surprise. "Really?"

"We had been in there for a couple of hours. There were so many stories…it was starting to get to me too. I understand why you did it." She runs a hand down the side of his cheek, her eyes looking across his face. "I can tell from your expression that it was starting to stress you."

Jon sighs and glances at the ground. "It's not that…I just can't believe that they've done so many things. So many horrible things. How can someone be so cruel? How can they be…so angry? So…I don't even know. It just hurts to think about it."

"Then don't," Daenerys whispers to him, causing him to look up. "We're here to make things good again…if we focus on what they've done and give in to the anger and the rage, then we will be no better."

Jon sighs and nods. "I know…I do." He looks up at her with a raised eyebrow. "What was with the kiss before?"

Daenerys' cheeks turn a dark red and she glances at the ground. "That was, um…for what you said to Saeresa earlier." His brow raises in shock at her statement, and she continues. "Seeing you like that…threatening that evil woman with our dragons, to end her life with one word…you have absolutely no idea how aroused that made me, Jon."

Jon rests his hands on her hips, a sly smirk appearing on his lips. "You get aroused by some pretty strange things, Dany."

"Oh, stop. It's nothing like that," she states, looking down at him. "It wasn't the power, or the threat, or anything that got to me. It was you standing your ground. Acting like a king. I told you, for so long, I knew you were a leader. That you had the potential to be one of the greatest monarchs in the world. You were kind and sweet to the innocent, cared for their safety, but sometimes when it came to other people's needs, you broke for them. You catered to them. You gave in. But here, you didn't do that. You did the opposite. You showed them who's in power, who is meant to rule and who is meant to be rotting in the ground…seeing that kind of reaction from you, yes, aroused me – because you're becoming the man I always knew you would be."

Jon smiles a bit at her statement, feeling his heart clench. It was maddening how no matter what time of day it was, or what he was doing, Daenerys always found a way to make him happy. He had thought for so long why he was brought back from the dead, but he knew now it was to be with her.

"I love you, Dany," he murmurs, before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers again. She wraps her arms around his neck as he pulls her close to him.

It doesn't take long for his hands to start to wander under her dress, touching where her clothed legs were, but when his hands move to pull down the smallclothes she was wearing underneath, she moves her hands down to stop his, swallowing.

"We shouldn't," she breathes.

"And why is that?" he asks, his voice low. His fingers stood inches between pulling down her smallclothes and her own hands. "We have time."

Before he could speak again, however, a knock was sounded on the door. Jon sighs and looks up at Daenerys, who gave him an expression that said, 'I told you so.'

"I know…we'll get back to that later," he mutters before gently letting her down onto the ground again, straightening out her dress. "Come in!" he says to whoever was outside. The door opens, and the first person he sees was Taevar, but he was surprised to see all five of the children behind him. "Taevar…what are you doing with them?"

"I'm sorry for interrupting you and the queen, Jon, but your children have a couple of things to say to you, if you'll let them," Taevar responds.

Jon nods, gesturing them to come in. "Of course." All five walk in, leaving Taevar at the door. "Taevar, prepare for reinstatement. We'll be back there soon." Taevar nods, closing the door behind him with a soft thud. Once he was gone, he turns to look at his children, his brow raised. "What made you want to come here?"

Daemon looks to Dan, nodding at her to speak. Dan steps forward. "I have nothing to say regarding this trial. I know they're bad people, but they've never personally hurt me. But these four…want to say something at the trial."

Jon's brow furrows as he turns his gaze to the other four children. "These four?"

Daemon comes forward this time. "You and everyone else here both know why I want to speak," he states, letting out a low sigh. "They literally killed me…the rest of the world doesn't know about it. It's time they do. Once they find out what they did to a child, it might sway them even more."

Daenerys comes to Jon's side. "Are you sure that you want to speak about this, Daemon? It's still relatively recent. We don't want to push you into anything."

"No. I have to," Daemon states calmly. "I want to."

Jon lets out a low sigh before nodding. "Alright…if that's what you want, son." He turns his eyes over to the other three children. "And Dan said something about four of you? You can't possibly mean Nesara."

Zaevar steps forward. "I want to tell them about what he did to me for years. The abuse he would put me through." He looks over at Mae. "She wants to speak about, uh…what her father has done to her."

Daenerys' brow furrows. "Mae, that's too far. You don't-"

"It's okay," Mae states, her arms crossing against her chest. "The people need to know. If I watch him die and I never get this out…then no one will believe me. I'm getting older now. I have to own up to what happened and just…move on." She turns her gaze back to Jon and Daenerys. "I know that it's a painful memory…but I want to do it. For the sake of the people. For our family."

Jon feels himself sigh softly at her last words, smiling a bit. He was glad that Mae thought like that so quickly. "Alright…again, if you two feel the need to do so…but if you want to stop at any time, you can." Both nod, before Jon looks over to Nesara, who was standing at her sister's side, holding her hand. "Now…you can't possibly tell me you want to speak." After a moment, Nesara gently nods her head. "By the gods, why?"

"Nesara," Daenerys says gently, coming over to her side. "You're very young. You don't have to speak up there if you don't want to."

"No, I do!" she exclaims, surprising both of them. Nesara's cheeks turn red and she steps back, sighing. "I know they're bad people…but I want to tell them what they did to me. I want to go up there with Daemon. Mae and Zaevar can be together and I…I can be with Daemon. And we can talk all about the volcano…I have to be a big girl."

"You don't have to be anything, Nesy," Jon reassures her. "Please. If this is too much-"

"It's not. I want to," she responds. "Please. I want to do this with them. We all became hurt because of our parents…I don't want any other girls to go through what we did."

Jon shares a look with Daenerys, who seemed torn on the issue. "What do you think, Dany?" he asks her gently.

Daenerys bites her lip and looks down at Nesara before letting out a low sigh. "You can speak, Nesara…but if you start to get emotional, please, don't go on. We don't want you to overpressure yourself."

"Thank you," Nesara states with a smile. "We won't let you down!"

"You could never let us down," Jon says with a tired smile, hugging the girl before giving a look to the other children. "Stay at the front of the room. We will call you up to the front when we are ready…and no funny business. Just straight stories. Don't spit on the prisoners or agitate them. Already had a couple of those today."

"We won't," Mae states, before taking her sister's hand and walking away with her brother. Daemon follows suit, making sure to keep an eye on Nesara.

Before Dan could leave, however, Daenerys speaks to her. "You said that they haven't personally wronged you," she states gently to the girl. "But yet you don't want to speak about them at all?"

Dan sighs. "I could talk about what they did to them until the moon rose, but at the end of the day, it's their stories. Not mine. I've already done enough with this city…I think it's time for them to share their own lives for a change."

Jon squeezes his daughter's shoulder. "I'm glad that you're thinking that way, Dan. It's very mature of you. Now go join your siblings." Dan nods and heads off, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Jon let out a deep sigh and looks over at Daenerys. "Looks like our thoughts of them testifying are coming true."

Daenerys rests a hand on him, squeezing gently. "It's alright, Jon. They're getting older by the day. It's their right to speak."

"I know…I'm more concerned about what Nesara is going to feel." He looks over at her and sees her confused expression. Jon sighs and glances at the ground. "You said you wanted to know what happened with Nesy before?" Daenerys gently nods. "Someone delivered a note to her from her parents to her chambers, telling her to come down. We found her in the dungeons with her parents trying to convince her that they loved her and would be 'parents' to her if she let them go."

"Seven hells," Daenerys mutters.

"She said no, of course," Jon state softly. "She's a smart girl, she is…but I'm just thinking of…what they said to her. I only hope it doesn't influence her. She may be smart but she's still young." He looks over at her and swallows his pride. "There's…something else, you should know…but I don't think this is the right time to tell you."

Daenerys rolls her eyes. "Jon, I have seen many things that haven't scared me off yet. I'm almost positive whatever it is you say will not scare me either."

Jon sighs and glances at the ground again. Should he tell her about Nesara? He knew it would be on her mind during the whole trial then, but at the same time, both of them knew what they were going to do. And sooner or later, he'd have to tell her. He didn't want to keep it a secret from her.

So, after a moment, he lets out a deep breath and turns his gaze back to Dany. "Nesara can use blood sorcery, too."

Daenerys' stills where she stood, brow furrowed in concentration, before she blinks herself black into reality. "W…what? She can?"

"That's why Daemon is able to use it now," Jon states to her softly. "I have a feeling she used a good source of her power and transferred it over to him, which is why he can suddenly move blood."

"H…how do…you know this?"

"I saw her nearly choke Aenar to death with it," he answers simply, causing her to gasp. "Aenar was trying to choke her from behind the bars and she got out of it through using her sorcery. She made him completely freeze and still, and blood started to pour out of his nose. I think she was causing him to seize."

Daenerys was quiet before her eyes suddenly turn to tiny slits. "And you didn't think you should tell me this before?!" she whispers fiercely.

"I didn't tell you because we had this trial," he says to her gently. "I didn't want it to weigh on your mind, but now that Nesara is going to be speaking, I thought I needed to tell you."

Daenerys pinches the bridge of her nose before sighing. "I…I just need a moment to process this. I didn't expect to hear Nesara tried to murder someone today." She swallows and sighs, shaking her head. "I shouldn't say that. She didn't do it just because she wanted to. It was out of self-defense." She looks back at him. "I'm just….so terrified of something like that. What if…power consumes her too? Just as it did her mother and father?"

"It won't," he reassures her, wrapping his arms around her. "You want to know why?" Daenerys slowly nods, her hands resting against his chest. "Because now, she has you and I as parents. And we would never let that happen."

Daenerys smiles a bit before sighing. "I suppose you're right…doesn't ease my fears though." She bites her lip and shakes her head. "Let's just go back to the trial. We can talk about this with her and Kinvara possibly later. For now, let's finish this." She grabs his hand and heads to the door. "Are you ready to continue?"

Jon nods, intertwining their fingers together as they walked back out in the hallway towards the throne room.

---

When they sat back into their thrones, Jon's eyes were on the king and queen, both firmly being attached back to the booths they were in before.

Aenar had seemed to calm down, albeit only slightly. He still had that look of rage within his eyes that could probably kill if possible, while Saereas was as quiet as before. Her eyes were trained on the dragon behind them, not saying a word. As soon as Jon and Daenerys take their seats, the rest of the hall does as well.

He lets out a deep breath and looks over to Mae and Zaevar, who nodded. Quietly, he speaks. "The crown calls the next witnesses to the stand – Zaevar and Mae."

Instantly, the crowd begins to murmur under their breath as their two children walked forward. Both Aenar and Saeresa's eyes followed them, both looking like they wanted to say something, but neither did as soon as Jonarys let out a low, menacing growl from where he rested on the perch. The two of them stepped up, looking up at Jon and Daenerys.

"You two came to us before, saying you wanted to tell your story about your…former family," Jon states, taking a glance at where the king and queen were. "Whenever you are ready to speak, you may. If you want to step out at any time, feel free to."

Zaevar looks at Mae, who encourages him to go forward first. Zaevar sighs and steps forward, letting out a low breath of relief. "My name is Zaevar. Most of you know me as the son of Aenar and Saeresa, their "first-born." Except I wasn't." He looks over at Mae, who gives him a small smile. "While I could talk to you about what they have done to my older sister, I find that this will be easier with me telling my story."

He rests his hands against the booth, looking over at the disgraced king and queen before sighing.

"My life didn't start out the way you'd think it would be. I was gifted my father's power of fire sorcery, and started training at a young age. It wasn't long before I was considered a fire prodigy. But with that title came a lot of pressure. And every single time I might have been mistaken…I was penalized for it." He looks out at the people again. "I understand the point of punishments when someone makes a wrong decision, but my father took it to another level. If I even so much stepped out of his view of what he wanted to see in me, I was given the back of his hand. Or any other object he could use to hurt me."

He swallows and glances down at the ground, letting out another breath.

"I once lied to someone close to me that this scar on my face wasn't from my father. I said I got it defending someone." Jon turns his gaze over to Dan, who seemed shocked at his words. Daenerys did as well.

"So that scar is from your father?" Daenerys asks him gently, while Jon processed his words.

"Yes. I was too afraid to speak about it to anyone because I thought he would hurt me if I did, so I kept quiet. Almost every scar that is on our bodies is from him. This scar is from when I was Nesy's age. I stood up to him against something one of his soldiers said, and he slashed at me with a sharpened rock from our garden…it's a miracle that I can still see properly."

Jon could visibly see Aenar's reaction to his statement, and he raises an eyebrow. "Are you the one who told him to tell this lie, Aenar?" The king doesn't respond, but Jon could easily tell that it was the truth from the angry look in his eyes. Jon looks back over at Zaevar. "Son, how many scars do you have on your body from your father?"

Zaevar shares a glance with Mae, who shrugs. "We don't know," Zaevar answers after a moment. "Between all three of us…there's a lot."

The crowd's murmurs begin to grow louder. Jon bites his lip as he looks to the boy. "And you believe he would continue to harm people no matter where he went?"

"Yes," Zaevar states quietly. "There's no doubt in my mind." Zaevar looks to Mae, nodding at her to come forward. Mae does so, and Jon could see her hands were shaking. This was probably the first time she had ever directly spoken to any of these people, but he knew she would be able to handle it.

"I-I'm Mae," she stutters at first, before taking a deep breath and continuing. "I was never born like my siblings. I never had powers or sorcery laced within my veins. Many of you know that my mother and father locked me away as a maid for years because they deemed that was the only thing I was good for. But that wasn't all they did."

"Mae, I swear to the gods above if you so much as speak!" Aenar threatens, standing up, but Magar and Laemon move to hold him down once more, causing him to struggle.

Mae looked frightened for a moment, but Daenerys raises her hand to her, getting her attention. "It's alright, sweetling. No one's going to harm you – especially him. Continue, please."

Mae swallows and looks over at her thrashing father before turning her gaze back to Daenerys and Jon. After a moment, she lets out a low breath. "Zaevar has said that our father beat him. He also beat me, and my little sister, on occasions. But never to the extent to which they did to me. I was the strange one of the family, their mistake. And they made sure I knew about it…every single day. When I was out of line, he would beat me with his whip, sending lashes onto my back…or he would hit me with sharp objects, causing my skin to bleed more than it already did…and…and when I spoke back to him…he…he…"

The young girl closes her eyes, and Jon watches as she lets out a deep breath once more. As soon as she opens them again, they were filled with determination.

"My father raped me."

Instantly, the crowd begins to shout, some even standing and throwing items at the prisoners. Jon lets out a quiet curse and yells out once again for the second time that day, "Silence!" After a moment, they begin to calm, but the quaking storm still sat, ready to erupt. Jon turns his eyes back to Mae. "How often did this occur, Mae?"

"As many times as he pleased," she continued, her voice lower now. "It first happened when I was ten…and it's continued afterward until you arrived. It was when I talked back to him that he…he would do that." She swallows and looks back up at him. "And I'm sure that if he was given the chance to remain alive, he would do the same to Nesara if she talked back."

Nesara's brow furrows and she leans up into Daemon's ear. Jon could distinctly hear her ask "what's rape?" But before the young boy could have that conversation, he shushes her, letting out a deep sigh. Jon mentally shakes his head. That was the last thing they needed, to explain to a young girl what the fuck rape was.

"I've always been prone to giving people second chances," Mae states gently. "But I can't for this. And Zaevar can't either. We never asked to be a part of this family. We were born into it. And now, we want out of it. With their deaths."

The crowd starts to whisper again as Zaevar and Mae finally step down from the booth. Jon watches quietly as Mae embraces Dan tightly, while Zaevar takes a seat, seemingly letting out deep breaths to calm himself. "Thank you, two…for sharing your stories of what your family did to you."

The two children nod. Jon lets out a heavy sigh once more, looking over at Daenerys. So much was weighing him down right now, but they needed to continue. They were almost done.

"The crown calls…Daemon and Nesara to the stand," Jon states, watching as Daemon helped Nesara out of the large seat they were sitting in with uneasy eyes. Saeresa leans forward in her seat, watching Nesara come forward with – what was that? Sadness? – in her eyes. Jon's brow furrows.

"Nesy," Saeresa whispers once she and Daemon were on the booth. "Please…don't do this to your mother."

"No," Nesara instantly states, her hand clutching to Daemon's. "…you're not my mother."

Saeresa falls back in her chair at that, her lips turned downwards into a frown of pain. Nesara turns her head away from her and then looks up, before tugging on Daemon's hand, telling him to speak first.

"You two also wanted to speak," Daenerys says gently, her eyes on her son. "Please, if you feel the need to stop at any time, tell us."

Daemon nods, his eyes forward. "A lot of you know me as Daemon Targaryen," he starts. "The son of the king and queen you picked as your leaders. When I first arrived here, my sister and I requested lessons for our powers we had just come to acquire, and Saeresa was my teacher, as we Nesara, the little girl who is somehow a master at healing for her age."

Nesara spreads a smile across her face so wide it would crack even the coldest heart, but that doesn't stop Daemon from continuing to speak.

"But while I was with her, I noticed that she was taking particular interest in me and her before any of the other few healers there. She would spend extra time with us, making sure our forms were current, and our incantations were done correctly. Only when I woke up from a blow to the head, in a volcano, with Nesara by my side, did I realize that they were grooming us to be their personal healers."

Daemon swallows and looks back at the people behind him. Jon could see that his body was trembling, but only slightly. He was brave to be telling this story.

"Each time they asked me to heal, I said no. Each time they requested I did something for them, I said no. It was because I didn't believe what they were preaching. Or what they wanted to do. I didn't want to support the people who I knew hurt their own children. But every time I said no, they would hurt me…badly."

"And then they would ask me," Nesara states quietly. "And I said no. I didn't want to help them do what they were doing either. It was scary. And when I said no, they'd hurt me."

Jon could hear Daenerys let out a slow sigh before she opens her mouth. "And what did they use to hurt you, Daemon?"

Daemon swallows and then gently lifts up the back of his shirt, turning so that he backside was facing the audience. A collective gasp is heard as they are bared down by harsh red scars from his wounds, edged deep within his skin.

"A whip," he states, as the murmuring and the shouts begin to dim, but not for long. "He used both a whip on Nesara and I. And he used it so often whenever I would say no to what he requested that he…he killed me. Aenar whipped me to death."

That got more yells and shouts of anger, but this time, Jon doesn't say anything. He still felt anger within him whenever Daemon talked about it, but this time, he simply stares down at Aenar, who was silent. Nesara pulls at Daemon's hand, wanting him to keep talking, clearly agitated by the noise.

"I'm getting there, Nesy," Daemon reassures her before looking back to the crowd, his shirt now lowered. "Nesara is the reason I'm here. When I was killed, the king and queen rushed away, not knowing what to do, and demanded that Nesara somehow bring me back. It was the only time she ever used her powers that day, and every ounce of her being was placed into her spells. I barely remember waking up from the void. It was nothing but darkness…but if not for Nesara, I would still be dead."

Daemon pulls Nesara close when Aenar suddenly stands, his face angry as all hell for what Daemon was saying, but his chains were secure. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Nesara was beaten badly to the point where she could have died as well," Daemon states calmly. "She used the last ounce of energy she had in her to bring me back. And it ended with her in a coma for a month-long. And when she woke up, she screamed, afraid her father was going to beat her again. What kind of man are you if you make your own child afraid of you?"

The crowd was still talking amongst each other, but most of them were directed towards the prisoners in the front. Jon turns to Nesara. "Do you have anything to say about this, sweet one?"

Nesara looks up at him and bites her lip before nodding. "Everything Daemon says is true – I even have the scars to prove it!" She lifts up a part of her sleeve, showing whip marks from even her arms. "But…" She lowers her sleeve, looking around. "I…I don't know much about court or trials or…really anything like this. But I know mamas and papas are meant to love their children. They're meant to treat them right!"

Suddenly, she runs off of the booth before Daemon could catch her, and stands in front of the two chains that held Saeresa and Aenar. Jon and Daenerys stand, going to stop her from doing something the young girl might regret, but instead, she starts to yell at them.

"They're not supposed to hit them or hurt them when they do one thing wrong! They're supposed to be kind! And nice!" Aenar glares at her angrily while Saeresa was dead silent. "I don't care about what they do to you because you hurt me, my sister, and my brother! I barely even knew Mae was my sister until Jon and Dany came here!"

"Nesy," Mae sighs from where she stood, but Nesara doesn't back down.

"No, it's true! They hid everything from me and hurt me if I even asked one question. That's not how a family is supposed to be!" At this point, there were tears coming down her cheeks. Daenerys walks forward quickly, trying to pry the girl away from where she stood, but Nesara still stood her ground, glaring at her former family. "Even when you did hurt me…I still loved you. I still wanted to love you. But all you've done…is hurt me. Is beat me. And me and my brother and my sister aren't going to take it…I don't want to hurt anymore…I hate you!"

She finally falls against Daenerys' arms, while she takes the young girl away from her two parents, feeling her sob against her dress, her head buried in her neck. The crowd in the room starts to grow louder at the sound of the child's cries, but Jon was focused on Nesara as Daenerys brought her over to his side.

"Hey, it's okay," he whispers to her, causing her head to look up, a soft sniffle escaping her. "You did good up there, Nesara…don't be scared." Nesara nods, her little lip trembling as she calmed down. Jon turns to Daemon. "You can go take a seat, Daemon. I think we're done here."

Daemon nods, but before he goes to take a seat, he walks up and takes Nesara's hand, guiding her back down the alter. Jon watches that as soon as they sit, Daemon gives her a tight hug, holding her close to him. He was glad that Daemon had taken to Nesara so much. It was like she was a little sister to him.

Jon and Daenerys share a glance before looking down at the degraded couple in front of them. He takes a step forward, staring at them. "You two have anything to say in regard to that?"

Aenar goes to speak, but Saeresa was the one who opened her mouth. "No," she states, her eyes looking up at him., "We confess to all of that." Her husband stares at her in shock, cursing wildly, but Saeresa only continues. "We know what we did. We confess. Just get on with it before you lose the balls to do it."

Jon stares at her in surprise, ignoring the insult that came at the end. "Fine. You have your wish, then."

He walks back to the top of the altar, looking over at Daenerys, taking her hand in his. She nods at him to say it, what he had been wanting to say for months now. And, when he turns to look at the monarchs in front of him, he felt an urge of relief leave him so large that it took a weight off of his shoulders.

"Aenar and Saeresa of House Galeron," he begins, looking at them both. "You've been found guilty of all charges of treachery, murder, and abuse. Your penalty will be death by fire."

Daenerys raises an eyebrow at him. He knew what she was thinking. He himself had said that fire was too clean of a death for them, but he had his plans. He had his methods. And he would show them to her.

The moment he announced that everyone in the hall began to cheer, expletives and screams of praise rolling off of their tongues. The dragons outside screeched, including Jonarys. Jon stares at the two rulers with a glare, feeling their hatred and anger pouring off of them, but he did not care. It was the first time he truly did not care.

"Guards," he starts, turning his gaze finally away from them. "Take the prisoners to their cells. The execution will be performed tomorrow. Give them a last meal and that will be it. Make sure they're chained up."

The guards nod and remove the prisoners. Aenar began to thrash again, screaming at Jon, while Saeresa quietly got up, not staring up at the people spitting on her, throwing their own items, and yelling cursed words that Jon himself had never heard. And this continued all the way until they were out of sight of the throne room, being taken away.

Jon lets out a low breath and turns to Daenerys, and for the first time that day, he feels a genuine smile come to his lips. They had done it. The first part was finished.

And tomorrow, it would come full circle.

---

Once everyone had filed out of the throne room and back to the streets of Valyria, Jon made time to eat dinner with his whole family – for the first time in months. Arya and Eleana had joined them in the dining chambers, and for a time, it felt just like how it was supposed to back then, with the addition of three more people.

They ate and talked about everything that had happened within the walls of Valyria. Dan got up a couple of times to show them her new fire moves, impressing Arya and Eleana, while later on, they would show how far they had advanced in their sword work with Mae and Zaevar. The boy would keep asking if Arya could show him how she removed faces, but Arya wouldn't let that secret go, not just yet.

Sooner or later, however, when the children's bellies were full and a temptation to go to bed was near, the handmaidens all escorted them to their chambers. Nesara was the last one to leave, who was practically falling asleep at the table by the time Mae came to come and get her, drool coming out of her mouth.

Once the last child was gone, Arya turns to Jon with a raised brow. "Death by fire, huh? Starting to really sound like a Targaryen there."

Jon sighs as he looks at her. "I don't need to hear you patronize me, Arya. You don't know what this family has been through since we've gotten here."

"Hey, I'm not blaming you for what happened. After seeing the scars on your children's backs and hearing the stories of everyone else, I wanted them dead just as much as the next person…but I'm pretty sure you and Daenerys had talked about not using fire as a way to kill people."

"Right," Daenerys says quietly as she looks up from where she sat. "I wanted to ask you that, too. You yourself said that fire is too clean of a death for them."

"Bloody hell," Arya mutters before looking over at Jon. "You really said that?"

"What I've said in the past doesn't matter right now," Jon instantly states before turning his gaze back to Daenerys. "I know that I said that. And I still think that. I have a plan for what we are going to do. But fire will be involved, one way or another."

Daenerys bites her lip and nods, looking back down at her food.

Jon sighs quietly, glancing away. He knew he'd have to speak with her later on it, but for now, he would focus on his sister.

"You," he states, turning to where Arya sat. "We didn't really talk much besides what's happened to me here. What's happened to you in Meereen? What of Daario? Is he still in his cell?"

Arya snorts at the mention of the man's name. "The man can hardly walk at this point," Arya states. "He barely talks. I think I've only seen him walk once…whatever Daenerys had done to his leg when you first died, it did a number on him. I don't think he'll ever be able to walk correctly again."

"Good," Daenerys mutters, causing Arya to look up in surprise. "What? He killed Jon. You can't tell me that you're supportive of him healing."

"I'm not, I'm just…surprised that you'd so easily let him go. He was once one of your best soldiers," Arya points out.

Daenerys sighs and looks into her goblet. "He was once, yes, but he's not anywhere near that anymore. Daario grew cocky and saw the future as it wasn't. He believed for so long that just because I invited him back to live in my pyramid, it meant I would let him back into my bed. He hated the fact that I had a love for another man…even if I was too stubborn to admit it for a long time. What he got, is what he deserved. I will have no pity for someone who willingly killed the man I love – saying it was out of safety. Please." Daenerys shakes her head and glances outside at the night sky. "If I felt unsafe with Jon, I wouldn't need fucking Daario around. I'd just need my dragon."

"Well, not really," Eleana points out. "He is unburnt."

"Just because he can't be burnt doesn't mean he can't get chewed up."

"Ouch," Jon chuckles, raising an eyebrow at her. "Harmful."

"Then don't ever cross me, Jon," she states back, smiling.

He rolls his eyes and looks back to his food, taking another bite before asking more questions of Arya. "You said that there has been word from Astapor and Yunkai. It's something we will work on after the execution. But what about the pyramid? Has everything been in working order?"

"For the most part, yes," Arya states. "We've been keeping an eye on the guards to make sure there are no more spies – and all of them have been either banished or killed. The people are still happy and waiting for their queen to return. The only issue we've actually been having within the walls are the Dothraki."

Daenerys raises an eyebrow. "The Dothraki? What's been going on with them?"

"Well…they haven't been, um…quite accepting of Jon."

"What do you mean?"

"We've told them that you and Jon are an equal team," Eleana states gently, looking over at the queen. "That both of you work together to lead people and help others. We didn't know you'd actually be leading a whole civilization here, but we sort of just assumed it. You two always worked well together. But the men of the tribe – even some of the women – were, uh…not pleased with that."

Daenerys lowers her goblet of wine, her brow raised. "And why is that? What did they say?"

"They see you as sort of a chosen one," Arya states quietly. "At least that's what Asi told me." Seven hells, the Dothraki girl back home. He had completely forgotten about her. He hoped she was doing alright. "They saw her step out of the fire unburnt, killing multiple Khal's. That's why they follow her – it gave them something to believe in. But with Jon, they haven't seen him, or had him prove anything to them to make them follow him."

"If they see me as their Khaleesi, then they will follow what I say and trust Jon," Daenerys states irritably, her arms crossing against her chest in anger, but Jon reaches over and squeezes her free hand, causing her to look up.

"It's alright, really. I understand. It's almost like the North in a way." He looks over at Arya, who nods. "They're very trustful of their own people, but not of outsiders. To them, I am one. Did they tell you what I could possibly do to gain their trust and follow me? If they want me to walk through fire, I'll do it."

"We know you will," Eleana chuckles, shaking her head. "But to them, it's been done. If they saw you walk through fire as well, it maybe wouldn't be as surprising considering you're related to Daenerys. But, there is another way most men assert their dominance among the Dothraki."

"No." Daenerys' voice was instant. "Jon is not getting into a duel with a Khal. That's suicide."

"Well thanks for having faith in me, love," Jon mutters quietly.

Daenerys sighs and turns to him. "It's not that I don't have faith in you, Jon. I know you're a skilled fighter, but the Dothraki are another kind of animal. They have a different kind of fighting style than anyone else in this world. They are aggressive and angry and they will do whatever it takes to take out their enemy. I don't know what would happen if you took on their Khal."

Jon shrugs a bit and looks over at her. "If something were to happen, we could end it quickly. You could call it off. I think it might be worth a shot." Before she could speak, he continues. "Daenerys, if we want to do what we want, we need to make sure that everyone is behind me. If fighting a Khal is something I have to do, I am willing to do so for you so I can gain their trust."

"Gods, don't say you'll do it for me," she mutters.

"Alright, then for myself so I can have another army to command," he states, leaning back in his seat. "That okay with you?"

Daenerys sighs and shakes her head. "I just don't know how safe it will be…but then again, our lives haven't been the safest, have they?"

All four of them shake their heads. And that was the honest truth.

Arya finishes up her wine and looks over at the two of them. "So tomorrow…what are you going to do with him? Is it really going to be a death by fire?"

"You'll see when it happens, Arya," Jon reassures her. "Why are you so in tune with it?"

Arya sighs and shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know. I just…feel a little uncomfortable with how they're going out. With what that man did to his children, to his daughter, I hate to say this, but that does seem like too quick of a death."

Jon nods quietly. "I know. And I have a plan. You just have to trust me."

Arya shrugs, leaning back in her seat. "It's your decision, Jon."

"Also," Daenerys states from her chair, looking over at Arya. "Let's switch this topic back to Meereen. Arya." Her eyes search the girl's face, before she raises her hands in the air. "What the fuck?" The question had caused Jon to nearly snort out his wine. That was a phrase he was not expecting from the queen. "Bringing Gendry into the pyramid?! I thought you were smarter than this!"

"I am!" Arya exclaims before relaxing. "Look, I know Gendry is to be trusted. He was completely neutral when it came to what you did in King's Landing. If anything, he trusts you more because you made him a legitimized Baratheon! I wouldn't bring someone I didn't think was good into the pyramid."

Daenerys bites her lip. "But what about the crown? They always supported Baratheons – they were the bloody rulers for a decent amount of time."

"The crown is different now," Arya states quietly, looking up at her. "It's a different world. Trust me. Gendry is mistrustful of Bran too…in fact, most people are."

Jon raises an eyebrow, his intent on the conversation changing. "They are?"

"Jon told me everything about what you two have seen," Arya says quietly, looking between the two of them. Eleana's brow furrows in surprise, but Arya only waves her off. "I'll tell you more about it later…but I'm serious," Arya states, turning her gaze back to Daenerys. "Westeros is falling apart. Because Bran gave the North independence, a lot of other kingdoms are wanting that now. And not only is the North failing at independence, they're starving. There's no solid economy. People are dying. But everything in the capital has been fine. It's like Bran doesn't care. He's only focused on those million people living within the walls of King's Landing."

Daenerys' brow raises. "We didn't know it was that bad."

"That's why Gendry willingly came here," Arya explains softly. "He left Storm's End in the hands of one of his advisors, but he told me that he doesn't know what to do. Each time he complains to the king about hunger issues among the people, or disarray, they're never answered. When I've told him how great Meereen has been doing, he wanted to come and see for himself. He's jealous. I don't think he would ever report back to Bran because of what's happening there."

Jon takes a glance at Daenerys, and he could see in her eyes that she understood what he was thinking. What he had said earlier. About them going back to Westeros. But at the same time, who's to say that this was their problem? Westeros had abandoned them. Betrayed them. Why should they help people that didn't want them before?

He turns away and sighs, drinking the last bit of his wine. "I understand…but when we get back, we can't just go off to Westeros to save people that don't want to be saved. We're staying here – at least for the time being," Jon states.

Under the table, Daenerys reaches over and squeezes his hand. He knew she would be happy with that statement. He didn't blame her. Just this morning he was talking about conquering Westeros again and now he heard that they are in need of help, but at the same time, he was so focused on trying to keep his family together, this kingdom together, that turning there now would be a mistake. A big one.

Arya only shrugs her shoulders from where she sat. "Whether you two want to go back or not is your choice…just know I'll be supporting you," Arya says gently, reaching over and taking Jon's free hand.

Jon smiles at his sister. "Thank you, Arya. That means the world to me."

Arya smiles back, letting her hand drop after a moment. "And I'll be there to do everyone's hair," Eleana states, causing Daenerys to laugh. Eleana smiles a bit and looks over at Arya. "Actually, Arya's been teaching me a couple things or two."

Daenerys' brow raises. "Really? Like what?"

"Well, both her and Gendry. They knew some decent and easy combat moves for me to learn just in case something was to happen at Meereen. It's never too late to learn how to defend yourself – as we saw with Jon and Daenerys."

"And thank the Gods I did," Daenerys mutters, shaking her head.

---

They talked for a little while longer before they decided to retire to their chambers, wanting to get rest for what would take place in the morn. As soon as the door closed, Jon let out a deep sigh and sits on the bed, his head in his hands. Daenerys looks over at him, clearly confused with his expression.

"What is it, my love?" she asks gently, walking over to him.

"What Arya said," he admits, looking at Daenerys as she sat down next to him. "About Westeros falling apart…I feel like this is all my fault."

Daenerys stares at him in shock before speaking. "Why in the name of the seven hells below us would you think that this was your fault? You haven't been in power in Westeros for years, Jon."

"And yet, I set the precedent." He looks up at her and sighs. "I mean, my family really did. Robb became an independent king before he was killed. And then me. And now Sansa. We kept this…charade going until now, it's hurting everyone. If we had just let go of our fucking pride and realized that we needed other kingdoms to survive, all of this could have been avoided. And what of Bran? Only caring about the people in King's Landing…what a load of horse shit. It sounds almost like Cersei - even though she didn't really care."

Jon turns his eyes away from Daenerys before standing, walking over to the balcony their room had. As the dragons fly in the distance, he feels his hands start to grip the edge of the banister, almost turning white.

"It's amazing," he mutters. "How we did so much for those people. And yet, here we are. And now, they're rotting away in their own shit because of their choices."

Daenerys stands up and walks over to him, resting her soft hands against his back. "Jon, what you said before isn't true." He looks down at her with a raised brow, but she only continues. "The North has been fighting for independence for years. You and I both know that the North itself could be its own country because of its size. You continuing that trend for your people doesn't set a precedent. It's what's happened. It's the negotiations afterward that cause the North to fail."

Jon's brow furrows once more. "The negotiations?"

"Yes. Take, um….the Iron Islands for example. Yara Greyjoy came to me years ago to pledge her allegiance and her ships to me as long as I could make the Iron Isles independent. I agreed, but afterward, I had a separate meeting with her to discuss terms. She could have her Iron Islands to herself as long as in the future, she supported any cause the crown had as valuable allies. If I needed her ships, she would be there at a moment's notice, and she agreed. On the other hand, she requested that if she could give her ships, she could also receive harvests that didn't normally grow on the islands, so that her people could be fed. And I agreed to that."

She moves forward so that she stood with him equally on the banister, looking down at the people below them.

"It's all about talking things over and seeing what others want. But with the North…we never had that conversation. Sansa and I always had this game going on, that she wanted to be completely independent from the crown, but I wouldn't allow it. There was no possible way that the North could survive alone. It's almost always cold, and there aren't that many bodies of water for fish – how would they plant? Harvest? Sow? Would they just hunt? What would happen when those animals ran out? There are so many unknowns with the North that remaining independent without having at least a trade deal with the crown would be impossible. But they're stubborn. And so was she.

Daenerys sighs and looks up at him again.

"It's not your fault for other kingdoms wanting to be independent. You did what you had to do to make sure your people survived, but at the end of the day, you agreed that the North needed guidance too. Sansa is the person who is saying no to everything. Not you. You did everything you could for the time that you had that crown. But now that Sansa does? People saw that Bran granted that independence to her, and they wondered why would he help her and not them? It's causing uproar. And what they don't know is that it was Bran and Sansa's plan all along…and that's what hurts the most. Knowing what we know, and that the other people of Westeros don't know it."

"You know a lot about this type of stuff," he states softly.

Daenerys chuckles, shaking her head. "It's things you have to know if you want to be a good queen – or at the very least, a good negotiator." She glances towards the people again down there and feels herself smile. "Like for example – I have full confidence in our people that they will be fine when we start to expand. With whom we leave in charge, they will prosper. We have harvests, we have food, we have a civilization. I mean, even then, the sea is right there for fish. But I don't feel that way about Westeros…there's so many people that they need to be governed. It's not like here."

"Daenerys," he says, looking down at her. "Are you going back on your word from this morning?"

"No," she sighs, shaking her head. "I still believe we should focus on what we are planning now…but I'm thinking of the innocents in Westeros that are suffering through this without any help. That they're not getting funding, or food, or anything. But if we even thought about going back there…it would only end badly."

Jon watches as she walks back into the chambers, starting to take her braids out of her hair. Jon gently closes the doors to the balcony before walking over to her. "Then we rebuild Valyria before we go back."

Daenerys snorts before looking up at him. "You act like that's going to be an easy task."

"I didn't say it would be," he says softly, taking her hands in his once her hair was completely let loose. When she turns to him, he feels his breath once again get taken away from him. It was amazing how few people got to see Daenerys like this, completely relaxed, hair down, ready to just sleep. He was thankful he was one of those lucky individuals. "But if we want to convince the people of Westeros that we're here to help them, we need to help others too."

Daenerys bites her lower lip and sighs before moving her hands away from his and wrapping them around his neck. "I just…I don't know how good I'd feel about…trying to take Westeros again. I always think of your sister. Of the people like her…what if they never accepted our help?"

"Then it's their loss," Jon reassures her gently. "But we can be happy saying that at least, we tried." He glances towards where he had taken off his vest and sighs. "There's actually something else about Sansa you should know."

Daenerys' brow furrows in surprise. "What do you mean?"

He gently takes her arms and places them down before walking over to where his vest was. Gently, he takes the note he had received from Arya the day before, and places it in Dany's hands. She quietly undoes the folding's until the words were spread out in front of her. Jon watches as her eyes quickly spread over each sentence, her face growing angrier by the second, and when she reaches the end of the letter, she crunches it up and throws it onto the bed.

"That fucking bitch," Daenerys snarls, walking away from him. "I can't believe she would try and convince Arya to come back. What did she even mean when it's 'bad' when a Targaryen and a Stark stray to each other? She should be thankful because if it wasn't for you, her home would be up in flames!"

"Dany," he whispers to her, rushing over to where she stood. Her chest was heaving from her anger and her lips were turned into a frown. "This is what she wants. Don't give in to that."

Daenerys looks up at him, before letting her shoulders drop and her mouth letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry…I just can't stand the idea of someone hurting you like this…it's awful."

Jon nods softly. "I know. But trust me, nothing is going to change. And Arya is staying here. I've already talked with her." Daenerys looks up, hope returning a bit to her eyes. "She said that she does miss the North, but wants to support her brother's happiness more. She can't even think of Sansa without remembering what she did to us."

Daenerys lets out a soft sigh of relief. "…good." Jon stands, starting to take off more of his clothing, but he could hear Daenerys start to talk quietly from behind him. "I still can't believe she brought Gendry there…even if he is loyal that's still a Baratheon. It's scary for someone like me."

"I really think we can trust him," Jon says, finally removing the last of his top so that he completely shirtless. "He never showed that he was someone not to be trusted before." He turns his body back to Daenerys and he watches as her eyes instantly attach themselves to his chest, causing him to chuckle. "Are you still thinking of earlier?"

"Oh, shove off," she mutters as he moves back to the bed, sitting down at the edge of it. She gets up and straddles herself on top of his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't admire you while we're alone?"

"You definitely can," Jon murmurs, before leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. When he pulls back, Daenerys starts to laugh. He raises his brow. "My love for you is funny?"

"No, I'm not laughing about that," she snickers, before looking back down at him. "I'm thinking of what Arya said about the Dothraki…I never would have imagined that someone I cared about would be fighting a Khal to somehow gain respect from them…I always thought I would be the only one to lead them."

Jon smiles a bit at her surprise. "Well, times have changed."

"I can only imagine," Daenerys states, her hands resting at the edge of his hair. "'Khal Jon, leader of the Khalasar.' Good gods," she chuckles, shaking her head.

Jon bites his lip before moving his hands down to where her hips were. "Right, I, uh…have been thinking about something. Ever since Dan talked to us this morning," he says softly, causing her brow to furrow. "I think I'm going to take a page out of Dan's book."

"What do you mean, Jon?" she asks.

"Our daughter said that her name didn't feel like her own. While I do love her name, she is right to an extent. It never did sound like a Targaryen name. If we're going to be doing this, as Targaryen's, I think I should start going by something else."

"But I love your name," Daenerys mutters. "It's the most normal name out of everyone I've ever met."

"I didn't say you or anyone else we cared for had to stop calling me Jon," he chuckles a bit. "That is and will forever be my name, for anyone who knows me personally, or is my family. Even friends. But I'm thinking more for titles, for presentations, invasions…the future."

Daenerys' brow furrows again. "So…when we're presented as king and queen – or anything like that – you'll be going by your gifted name? Aegon?"

"Gods no," Jon states instantly. "I refuse to go by the name of so many bad men before me. That name is honestly cursed. I don't want to step near it. Aegon has to die. If we went with that name, I don't think anyone anywhere would bow to us just based on memory."

"Then what name were you going to go with if not that?" she asks.

Jon leans up and presses a gentle kiss to her lips, feeling her hands drop to his chest, resting them against his skin. When he pulls back, his forehead was resting against her own. "I was thinking more along the lines of…Jaehaerys."

Her brow raises in pleasant surprise. "Really?" He nods, letting the name linger in the air for a moment. "Jaehaerys," she murmurs, looking down at him from where she sat atop of him. "If I can recall, the two Jaehaerys' that ruled the throne were good kings – one had the longest reign out of everyone. Fifty-five years."

"And the other?"

"He only ruled for a short time – he was my grandfather. Illness caught up to him. But he was a good king. He reconciled a lot of the Great Houses. Restored order, really…and you'd want to take that name?"

"Well, I think it fits us well," he states softly, his hands moving up to her face. "We want to rule for a long time. We want to bring change. It's better than the names people of Westeros have been used to for years…and if we want to take this seriously, then I have to as well. You can still call me Jon whenever you please, whether that be here or in our bed." She smirks at the mention of that, but doesn't say anything. "But out there, to the people of the world, I'll be known as King Jaehaerys Targaryen…the third, I suppose."

"We don't need to include that part," she chuckles before wrapping her arms around his neck again. "King Jaehaerys…I like the sound of that a lot."

"Glad you do," he murmurs before placing a soft kiss on her lips. When he pulls away a moment later, her hands tangle into his hair, her fingers running slow through them.

"I never thought I would get this when I saw you again in White Harbor," she admits softly. "I…I honestly thought you were going to kill me again. You saw that the job wasn't done and you…you know."

"I would never do that to you," he whispers to her, his hands moving up to cup her face within his palms. "Ever again. I've told you; I'm completely devoted to you. No matter what."

"I know," she states, her hand coming up to touch his own. "But even if you didn't, I never thought we would be here…we have a family, a life…I never thought you would ever embrace who you are. What you've become. I always thought you'd be a Stark, stuck in your honor and duty, but here you are…even changing your name so you can be a Targaryen. It's…shocking."

"And yet, here we are," he says to her softly. "Honestly, this has been a long-time coming. I've had to stop running from what I am and embrace it. And to be true…I like it." He moves his hands back down to her waist, letting them rest gently against the fabric of her dress. "I never believed I would be one for power but…the way we are right now, I don't think I could ever go back. I love this version of what we've become. I love who we are. And if anyone has anything to say to it, then they'll regret it."

Daenerys stares him down, her eyes searching his, until she suddenly crashes her lips atop his, in probably one of the harshest kisses they had ever shared. It sent a wave of arousal so strong down his body that he was surprised he could still breathe. After a moment, she broke the kiss, reaching down to cup his face, rubbing her hands gently across the scruff of his beard. "We're the last two," she whispers. "Before our children, we were the last two. The final Targaryen's. We were meant for the other...I was a fool not to see it for so long."

"No, don't say that," he whispers to her. "I was the fool. I always have been the fool." He reaches up and runs his hands gently through her loose hair. "But a fool I am no longer."

This time, it was him that reached up to bring their mouths together once more, their tongues intertwining, fusing them together. He could feel himself growing harder against her body, her nails digging into his skin. She moves slightly so that she was on top of him more, but so that her hands were free from his confines. She slides her fingers down his neck, his chest, and all the way down to the hardened bulge that sat in his trousers. He moans against her mouth as she began to move her hand up and down, causing him to go crazy.

He broke the kiss after a moment, his forehead resting once again against hers. "Don't tease me, Dany."

"Then how about you bed me before I continue doing so?" she whispers against him, her hands moving back up to tangle in his hair. Jon smirks against her lips while his arms come up, and suddenly rip down the edges of the dress she had been wearing, small clothes included, leaving her completely bare. "Jon!" she exclaims, laughing as he pulls it off of her, throwing it to the side. "The seamstresses aren't going to be happy about that."

"I don't care," he mutters before his lips come back onto hers again. She was quick to shed his last layer of clothing, taking off his trousers within seconds once he began to kiss her again. She started to stroke him once his cock was out, firmly this time, and he could feel her smirk against his lips when he moans.

She starts to move away from his lips and crouch to take him into her mouth, but he suddenly reaches forward and grips her hair, pulling her back up. She looks at him in surprise, but as soon as he presses his lips against hers again, she melts into his embrace.

"I'm going to take care of you tonight," he murmurs against her lips, causing her to smile a bit. He lifts her up into his arms and then places her near the edge of the bed, before crouching down right in front of her. He pushes his lips against hers one more time before he turns his gaze to her dripping cunt.

Her body relaxes against the bed as he began his feast, starting softly towards the outer parts of her body, lapping at her lips before his mouth wraps around her nub in a gentle and pleasurable kiss. His fingers began to probe at her entrance right afterward, followed by his tongue.

"Qogralbar, kessa," she breathes, her hands digging into the furs beneath them. Her head tilts upwards just a bit, just to make eye contact with him as he filled his mouth with her sex. It wasn't long until he increased his pace, causing her to squirm, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

And soon he had her reduced to breathless pants, chest heaving up and down as her spine arched, and her cunt clenched around his fingers. He sealed his mouth around her clit, this tongue spinning around in circles while his fingers continued their work within her.

"Gods, Jon!" she cries out, her climax reaching her within a moment's notice.

It took a moment, and he licks her out as she comes down from her high. Within moments, his eyes were locked on hers, and he started to ascend upwards towards her mouth, placing soft kisses along her body as he went, until they pressed firmly against her pale lips once more.

"That feel good?" he murmurs, his hands moving upwards of her body. She nods once he moves his head again, his lips starting to trail down her neck to the softness of her skin, his attention turning to her breasts. He kisses and suckles her nipples, kneading the pieces of flesh that fit perfectly into his hands. As he started to increase his pace, he could hear her moan, her body bucking against his own.

"Jon," she whimpers, breathing heavily. "Jon, please."

Jon looks up from where he was and then kisses his way back up to her chest, right to her ear. "Please what, my queen?" he whispers against her ear.

He could feel her swallow against his skin before she turns her head, her lips capturing his own in a searing kiss. When she pulls back, he could tell her body was completely sweaty and in need of a bath. Maybe tomorrow.

"I want you to fuck me," she whispers against him, her hand clutching at his arms. "I want you to worship my body. I want you to make me scream your name. I want those bastards down there to hear us all the way up here, in their chambers, fucking each other into oblivion. I need it."

Gods, he could feel himself practically explode at that. He lets out a growl that was so feral he could barely recognize it himself, and thrusts into her suddenly, causing her to gasp.

"Fuck, yes, just like that!" she cries, her head tilting back. He pounds himself into her, relentlessly. Her breasts bounced against his chest as he presses his lips against hers in a kiss that had them both breathless for air. She soon broke to come up, choking out his name again, her body stuck on him.

Her fingers clawed down his back, drawing blood, which only spurred him on harder. "Dany," he moans out, over and over, almost whispering her name like a prayer.

"Kessa, Ionos, qogralbar, ȳdra daor keligon," she pants, her body clinging around him. She locks her legs around him as he drove into her. "Harder, Jon, make me come," she commands, her hands tangling into his hair. He slams into her, drawing out a scream of pleasure from her beautiful lips. She bit into his neck as her back arched once more, their bodies pressing closer together, if possible, crying out his name as her climax overtook her.

He rode through for a few moments, his hands clinging onto her sides, before coming undone himself, thrusting every last ounce of him into her. Both breathe heavily for a minute, trying to regain their minds, before Jon leans down and kisses her on the lips, pulling her into his arms again. He waits a moment before pulling out, and moves onto the bed fully again, taking her with him.

She gets a peek at his bleeding back and cringes. "Fuck," she mutters. "I have to stop being so…rough."

Jon smirks down at her from where she laid against his chest. "Battle wounds," he remarks.

Daenerys snorts. "Gods, that makes me feel worse," she chuckles, but he only strokes her back, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead.

"It's alright," he states softly to her as he strokes her cheek. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Dany. Better to have a rough lover than one who doesn't care about sex at all and just sort of…lies there."

She raises an eyebrow. "You've only ever had two lovers though."

"I know but I've heard stories of men who aren't happy with their, um…intimate relations," he chuckles a bit, seeing her smile at his struggle for words. "But I can tell you I'm very happy."

Daenerys chuckles, shaking her head. "You better be." There was a comfortable silence between the two before he hears Dany sigh again. "I'm still thinking of Nesara…what happened with her and her sorcery. With her family." She looks up at him, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe she said all that to her parents today…for a little girl she has a big voice."

"All of them do," Jon responds. "And I'm proud of them for standing up."

"And…Daemon…" Daenerys starts, her voice trailing off.

"It was his decision, Dany," he reassures her, grabbing her soft hand in his, causing her to look back up at him. "He wanted to speak his word. He wanted to tell them what happened. Don't feel bad about his choices."

"I know, I know…it's just been scary, honestly. That's all." She sighs and glances back at the window as the flames from the candles in the room begin to die down. "And tomorrow…they will be gone. For good." She looks over at him again. "Everything we've been wanting to do…we can finally accomplish." Daenerys looks at their intertwined hands, and Jon sees a sleepy smile come over her lips. "You know, out of everyone I could have done this with…I'm so glad that it's you. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Jon smiles and presses his lips against hers once more. "As am I." When he pulls back he wraps his arms around her again, holding her close. "Sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."

Daenerys nods, her eyes closing within a few seconds. And after a couple of minutes, she was fast asleep in his arms. Jon lets out a low sigh, trying to sleep as well.

---

Hours pass, and sleep hadn't entered Jon's mind. While he knew Daenerys would stay asleep for a long time, his thoughts had been invading his mind so often that he wanted to jump out the window. Answers were needed if he wanted to have sleep be a part of his life again.

He kept thinking about Saeresa. Aenar was pure madness. He almost reminded Jon of the stories of Daenerys' father. He didn't seem to care much for his people and was power-hungry. But there was something else with Saeresa. The way she looked at Nesara today.

Why did she just confess like that? Out of nowhere? He knew the outcome was going to be the same regardless, but at the same time, she still confessed so quickly. Her husband had even been shocked in his own mental state. And yet, there she was, letting go of any chance she had at surviving.

And now that he thought about it, how did someone get a note up to Nesara's chambers? They had been locked up for Gods knew how long, but there was no way of her getting out of there. And if Aenar had somehow been released, Jon was pretty sure he wouldn't just do that to leave a note.

'Her loyalists,' he suddenly remembers, sitting up straight in the bed. When she had gone to the volcano, she had said that she had taken loyalists out and away from the area so they wouldn't be hurt by the blast, but they were never seen again after that. He had sent a search team out at some point to try and find them but had come up with nothing.

What if…the loyalists were in the castle?

He looks down at Daenerys, sleeping peacefully, her head resting against the pillow as sleep overtook her, taking her into another world. And he didn't want to disturb that. So, he quietly moves her hands away from him, resting them slowly on the bed as to not wake her up, and wraps the furs tightly around her.

The moment he does so, she cuddles deeper into the furs, letting out a soft sigh. Jon feels himself smile at her movements, before turning his gaze over to where his clothes laid on the ground. He needed answers. And if that happened to be what went down, he knew there wouldn't just be two people being executed the next day.

Jon quietly walks over and throws on his clothes as quickly as he could, trying not to make a sound. He grabs his sword that he had retrieved after distracting Nesara the day prior, and goes to head to the door. But as soon as his hands touch the knob that would lead to the outside, a voice speaks to him.

"Where are you going?"

It was sleep-filled, but he could recognize it all the same. He looks over to see that Daenerys had still heard him, and was sitting upright in the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. He sighs. "I tried not to wake you."

"It's a different feeling when you lose warmth next to you." She leans up to look at him. "And I ask again, where are you going?"

Jon bites his lip and glances over at the door before turning to her. "To get answers. Do you want to come with me?"

Her eyes stray to where his sword laid in its holster. "Does this 'getting answers' include threatening someone?"

"When it comes to Saeresa, it does," he says quietly.

Daenerys stands, grabbing something to put on her, while her eyes stray towards where her own sword sat. She hadn't used it that often due to how much they had been ruling the city of Valyria, but he could see the glint in her eye, the want. So, she quietly walks over and picks it up, looking over at him.

"Then of course I'm going to come with you." She walks to his side, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "We do this together, remember?"

Jon smiles a bit at her reaction before his face turns back to serious. "Alright…then stay with me." He looks down at the gown she had on and rolls his eyes. "And put on some pants or something. Don't need the night guards getting a look at their queen's privates."

Daenerys snickers at his words, but nods. "Fine then."

He watches as she gets dressed quickly, putting on some warmer clothes for the cooler temperature of the castle. She places her own sword in her holster before looking back at him once she was ready to go, and then his hand travels back to the knob that would lead outside, opening the door.

And with two words, they set out into the dark hallways of their castle to find answers. "Let's go."

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Next chapter is going to be crazy, my dudes. So excited and I hope you are too!

I'm really glad about how the court scenes turned out. Truth be told I was terrified to write them because I've never been super familiar with the court system - especially in GOT - but I'm happy of what happened. And I hope you guys are too. I'm sorry this was as lot of politics and talking lol but next chapter the executions will take place and there will be a lot going on so stay tuned.

As always, love it? Hate it? Want to burn me like Daenerys did to the slave masters? Let me know in the reviews, as they always keep me writing and pushing out these chapters for you awesome readers. Your reviews really inspire me to keep going, so please let me know what you think! Don't forget to follow or favorite if you want to join us on our adventure, and I will see you all in the next chapter. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have an awesome day! Wash your hands and stay healthy!