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)

38. Daenerys: The Council Room

Hello friends! Thank you so much for the great response to the last chapter! Thank you to:

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You guys really helped me get this chapter out quicker so thank you! And a big welcome to the new follows and favorites as well, I hope you guys like it :) It's not as long as the other chapters but things start to really happen in this - and next chapter, oh god you are not ready. This is the build-up, and I'm so excited for you guys to see it. I hope you all enjoy!

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Daenerys

It had been about a week since the deaths of the two former monarchs, and Daenerys had started to take notice that a certain kind of peace had descended among her family. Even waking up in the morning, she was no longer filled with any sort of dread of what the day would bring, or what sort of shit she would have to deal with regarding the mad king and queen.

It felt…nice. It was like her worries had melted away.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. She and Jon had been planning on where to go first for their rehabilitation of Essos, of bringing their cities under their care and building the empire they had wanted to for a while now. So far, they had decided to stop at Astapor first, then Yunkai, before making their way back to Meereen to see their home again.

But Daenerys had to admit…the longer she stayed here, the more it was beginning to feel like home.

Of course, she loved the people of Meereen. They had stayed loyal to her even when she had gone off to Westeros for that fucking throne. But she had grown to love the people here, talked with the commoners about everything and anything. And while she knew technically, she and Jon would still be ruling over this city from Meereen, it wouldn't feel the same.

Which was why she had a plan. A brilliant plan. One that would take a long time, but one that she was so intent on finishing, a passion she hadn't felt in a long time.

She lets out a soft sigh as she leans up in her bed, trying to feel the space next to her but realized that it was empty. This has become a bit of a tradition nowadays. Jon had always been getting up much earlier than her to attend to something so she could sleep in. As much as she admired his honor, a part of her wished he swallowed his pride and woke her up as well.

"Starks and their honor," she chuckles, shaking her head. Well, technically, he wasn't really a Stark anymore. She was almost positive Jon had completely moved on from that side. While she knew his Stark blood would always be a part of him, he had turned practically into a full-fledged Targaryen, more than she ever thought he would.

And Gods don't even get her started with that little baby dragon of his. She could melt just thinking about it.

Daenerys smiles a little to herself and leans up, wrapping her hair into a ribbon while walking over to the window, looking outside. Vendors and merchants came in and out of the gates, while commoners in the distance awoke with the sun. She could see dragonlords atop of their towers, taking off into the vast sea. She and Jon had lifted the ban on where they could fly a little more, and everyone else had been taking full advantage of it.

She loved seeing dragons fly. When her children had been born, it had been a miracle that they had grown to such considerable lengths. She had never thought there would be more. And now, here she stood, watching a whole civilization of dragons fly off, in all different colors. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

A small little screech interrupts her thoughts, and she turns around, seeing her new child trip over one of the garments on the ground before looking up at her, tilting its head. Daenerys laughs as she holds out her arm, and the small little dragon climbs up onto her skin, before resting on her shoulder. "Good morning, little one. Are you hungry?"

The little dragon screeches in response, signaling it was a hard yes. Dany walks over to a chest where she had been keeping spare pieces of meat from dinner for the little ones, before grabbing a slice and throwing it to the dragon. It takes it into its jaws within seconds, chopping the meat down.

Once Jon's egg had cracked at the fire, it wasn't long after that everyone else's had begun to open as well. She had watched as Mae had taken Nesara and their own dragons onto her arms, the sisters staring at them in shock and glee, while Daemon and Dan had both taken their own. She remembered the beauty of the girl's dragons. Mae's had been a dark pink, almost a magenta, really, one with scales that seemed to brighten against the sun.

Nesara's had been a light blue, almost the color of the sky. Daemon's was black as the ground beneath them, one that reminded her of Drogon. And Dan's had been almost yellow, sort of a cream color, a resemblance between the milk she would drink from the caddie in the fields.

None of them had named their dragons yet, but she knew it would come soon. It had taken her a couple of days to name her children when she first hatched them. Jon hadn't even come up with his name for his own. It took time naming something that would turn out to be so…powerful.

But for her, she had seen perfectly who this dragon resembled. She knew dragons could be a man or a woman, but looking at this beautiful creature, she had the personality of a girl, a little girl. So sweet. And she hoped the baby stayed that way when she began to grow.

While the dragon looked like Rhaegal, she knew she couldn't name another one of her children that. It would only bring back bad memories and possibly even worse for wear. But, she knew she could name her after a woman who had brought one of the most influential people into her life.

"You want to know your name?" she whispers to the tiny dragon as it flaps it's small wings quietly over to the window. It was still so small, but her dragon had taken to flying rather quickly. "I'll name you-"

Suddenly, the door opens, and she turns her head to see Jon stumble in, focusing on what looked like a tray of food. But before she could ask what in the name of the seven hells he was doing, he looks up, and an expression of disappointment comes across his face.

"Damn it. You're supposed to be in bed."

Daenerys raises an eyebrow and looks over at him. "What are you talking about?" she chuckles as her eyes search over his form. There resting on his shoulder was his hatchling, the little dragon that had emerged from the flames first, its head resting around his neck. There was something so amazing about seeing Jon with a dragon. It was a sight she never thought she would witness.

"I went down to fetch you some food so you could eat in bed," he admits softly, walking over to where she stood. He places the tray gently on the furs while his dragon climbs down to nestle against the sheets. Her own walks over to climb on top. "This last week has been a lot of work. I wanted to treat you with something."

"Jon, you treat me every day by being mine," she murmurs. Gods, that was so mushy. But it was how she felt. She had never felt any kind of love for a man that she had felt for the person standing in front of her. And it was the strongest feeling she had ever imagined.

Jon smiles at her words and pulls her into his arms, wrapping them around her small form. "I should be the one saying that." She rests her body against his chest as their eyes turn towards the dragons. "Have you come up with a name yet?" he asks her.

She smiles, nodding, and looks back at him. "What of you?"

Jon nods, watching as his dragon ate some of the meat that was on her plate, causing her to snicker. "I've been thinking of one for a while and didn't know how to make it sound…dragon-y, I suppose if that's a word. But I think I've figured it out." He looks over at her, and she waits with bated breath as he opens his lips. "I think I'm going to name her Aryeon."

Her brow raises in surprise. "After Arya?"

"I mean, think of it," he says with a peaceful smile, looking back over at the baby dragon. "She's my only sibling who has stood by our side, even joined us and helped us with traitors…she's an amazing fighter and vicious. If she had Valyrian blood in her, I wouldn't be surprised if she rode a dragon, but because she doesn't, I think this is the next best thing." He looks over at her again. "To honor my true sister. I don't care if we aren't by blood…I couldn't have asked for a better one."

Daenerys feels herself smile at his words. It was sweet to see Jon love his little sister so much. She had known he had cared for her more than many people, but naming a dragon after someone meant they truly were special. "I think that's a great name, ñuha jorrāelagon," she says, bringing a hand to his cheek. "I can only imagine her reaction when she finds out."

Jon snorts, a rather unkingly sound, but one that made her laugh. "She's going to flip her shit." He walks over to the bed, watching as the little lavender dragon fly's onto his shoulder. "You like that name? Aryeon?" The dragon screeches in response, its teeth getting tangled in his curls. He curses quietly as he attempts to remove the creature from his hair gently as not to hurt it, which only makes Daenerys laugh more.

His cheeks turn red as she comes over to him, helping him with the small creature until it was free of its confides, back on the bed with its sister.

"I think I'm going to have to start wearing my hair up again," he mutters.

"Nonsense," she laughs, looking over at him. "It's a learning curve. They'll grow out of that soon. I had to deal with hair pulling for a little bit as well until they were a couple of moons old."

"You know you're going to be the number one source of information for our children and their dragons," he points out, causing her to chuckle. "What I wouldn't give for a book on dragons. Think I need to pay a visit to Kinvara." Aryeon climbs onto his lap, resting its head against his leg. Jon pets the dragon on their back before looking over at her once more. "You said you had a name. What was it?"

Daenerys looks over to her little green child and whistles for her to come closer, which the creature does, waddling over on the furs to her side. "I didn't want to name her something that's already been done," Daenerys says, looking back at him while her soft fingers gently scratched the back of the dragon's head. "While she looks like Rhaegal, I couldn't just name her that again. So…I decided on Lyanian."

Jon's brow furrows at her name choice. "Lyanian?"

"Yes…after your mother, Lyanna Stark."

His gaze instantly shifted into one of pure emotion. "Dany…"

"Let me explain," she says at his surprised expression. "I know that my relationship with the Starks has never been…ideal. But I can't deny that she is the reason I have the love of my life here." Her hand comes up to rest against his cheek, smiling softly. "Without you, I don't think I ever would have left the safety of my walls in Meereen again. I've never been more thankful for someone to be in my life. And I think it was time I paid tribute to the woman that made it happen."

She feels his lips turn upwards at her explanation, grabbing her hand in his. "That's beautiful, Dany," he whispers. "I don't deserve that."

"Yes, you do. Stop saying you don't."

He leans in and kisses her, the peck making her insides swell in happiness. It was amazing how just one little kiss from him could have her feeling like a young girl again.

When he pulls away, his cheeks were red.

"Now I feel like I didn't think hard enough about my name," he admits, causing her to chuckle.

"Stop, you did. I think Aryeon is a beautiful name."

"Gods, look at us," he mutters, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. "Two Targaryens naming their brand-new dragons after Starks."

She laughs at his words. "The seven hells must have frozen over." She wraps her arms around his neck, her fingers entangling themselves into his curls, but before it could go anywhere, Lyanian climbs onto her lap, screeching for more food. Daenerys pulls away as Jon groans, clearly annoyed at the lack of contact. "Little dragon, you are insatiable."

"Not the only one who is," Jon mutters.

Daenerys rolls her eyes at his statement as she holds out her arms. The two small dragons climb on with ease, a certain grace the dragon queen had developed for raising three dragons her own, and she walks over to the door. Jon looks at her, confused at her actions, but doesn't object. She walks to the door and opens it with her free hand, calling down the hall.

"Eleana!"

It doesn't take long for her good friend and handmaiden to appear at her side. She had given the girl a room to stay in with a beautiful view of the sea, but not too far from them. As much as Dany cared for the other girls who had taken care of her, there would always be a special place in her heart for her girl from Meereen.

Which is why this was the perfect job for her.

"What is it, my queen?" she asks as she rushes inside, bowing her head to Jon. "Glad to see you as well, my king."

Jon leans up in his bed, looking to her. "How has the room been treating you, Eleana?" he asks her.

"Very well. I would even assume the view is better than Meereen." She smiles as she reaches out to the baby dragons, whispering little words to them as they cooed and nibbled at her fingers before her eyes look back to her. "You requested me?"

"Yes. Jon and I are decided to break our fast in our chambers today. I was wondering if you could take the dragons out to eat with the other babes and the children – as you know very well how to take care of them."

Jon's brow furrows. "She…she does?"

"Well, not to brag," Eleana states as she holds out her arm. Aryeon climbs on first, followed by Lyanian. "When Daemon's dragons were hatched not too long ago, I would take care of them when the queen nor the prince was available. It's a skill you pick up after a while." She looks over at her once again. "I should remind you, however. There's going to be an important council meeting later today with the council you've selected to lead in your absence when you re-conquer the slave cities."

Daenerys bites her lip and nods. "I know…we will be there on time. Don't worry." She scratches the dragon's head before looking back to the girl. "Take them out for some meat and a fly. We'll be out soon."

Eleana nods, heading off after that. Once Daenerys closes the door, she turns to Jon with a smirk, who seemed utterly shocked.

"That girl is full of secrets," he states.

Daenerys chuckles as she walks over to the edge of the bed. "She is, indeed. It's why I intend to keep her around for some time." She takes a bit out of a peach that sat at the edge of the tray, before turning to him. "But…she has given you that alone time you were looking for before."

Jon smiles at her words and pulls her close to him, causing her to giggle. "I suppose she has."

And then he peppers her face in soft kisses, his beard tickling her skin. She laughs, trying to stop him, but his hold on her was tight and unforgiving. As soon as she begins to squirm, he presses her down against the bed and his lips land on hers, causing a soft moan to escape from her lips. It's not long before her fingers are tangled once again into his hair.

After a moment, however, he pulls back and looks down at her curiously. Her brow furrows. "What is it?"

"Something's on your mind."

She leans upwards as he pushes himself off of her. "W-What? Nothing is. I don't know what you're talking about. I just want to kiss you and-"

"Dany." His voice was stern, that same tone he used whenever they talked about something important. "Tell me. Please."

Daenerys looks at him and bites her lip. She had been debating speaking to him about this for days because it went against what they had initially wanted to do. But now, the thoughts had been overwhelming. All she wanted to do was tell him. So, she gives in and lets it go.

"I don't want to go back to Meereen," she whispers.

His eyes widen in response, which she knew would happen. "You…don't? I thought-"

"I know!" she exclaims her head in her hands. "I know we planned to go back and rule from there, but I…I've grown to love this place. Now that those evil people are gone, I've seen nothing but peace and happiness from these commoners in our family…I can see life here - something…better for us. We have Arya here. Eleana. If we need to pick up more people along the way, we can. And barely anyone knows that the dragons live…we can build a home from here."

She looks up at him, a pleading expression she was sure of crossing her face, but she had never felt surer of something in a long time.

"I don't want to abandon the people of Meereen…I don't want to abandon anyone at all. I want us to continue our plan, to take back Essos and all of these slave cities with an iron fist…but I want to give them better lives as well. Here."

Jon was quiet, looking at her with a perplexed emotion across his face. She bites her lip as her hair falls into her eyes, still messy from sleep.

"Say something…please don't be mad at me," she whispers.

Jon's expression turns to one of love again, and he reaches over, brushing away her silver hair from her eyes. "I could never be mad at you, Dany…confused, yes. Very much so. But anger? That didn't cross my mind at all." He lets his hand drop and find hers. "I…just need an explanation, really. We did all this so quickly because we wanted to go back. What changed your mind?"

Daenerys gestures outside. "Do you see those people? The merchants and vendors and commoners, even the lords and ladies who ride their dragons high above us…I don't think I saw a single one of them frowning."

His brow furrows. "So, you want to stay in Valyria because no one was…frowning?"

"No, ugh – I mean, people are happy here. Happier than I have seen anyone in a long time." She looks back at him. "I think of everyone back in Meereen and even in Westeros…how there always seemed to be something wrong. Someone was always complaining about something…maybe not to the extent that I'm thinking, but…it just feels…normal here. I know that not everything is always going to be okay. It's life, and it hands us challenges and scary situations and everything else involved, but…I feel that the people who have supported me would live well here. They would be happy here. And I want to give that to them."

Jon looks at her quietly before reaching out, grabbing her hand. She bites her lip, waiting for him to say something, anything. But instead of the no she had been expecting, she feels a squeeze to her hand as well.

"A part of me likes it here as well," he admits gently to her.

Her eyes widen. "You…you do?"

"Well, I enjoy the people," he says softly, looking up at her. "They believe in us. Everyone does. I think one of the reasons I wanted to leave so badly was because of those two…but now that they're gone, you're right. There's nothing really stopping us from staying." He brings his hand up to her cheek, smiling softly. "Besides, I would gladly stay here with you and the children if it was what you wanted, my dragon."

Daenerys feels her lips turn upwards into a wide grin, and she hugs him tightly, her lips planting squarely onto his. She feels him chuckle against her lips as he wraps his arms around her, but after a moment, he pulls back, a questioning look in his eyes.

"I do, however, want to ask regarding your plan to bring them here?" he asks her gently. "I've met the people of Meereen. Many of them are stubborn and won't want to leave. And it will be hard to move them in the first place."

"I know," she says softly. "I've known them longer, and I know they love it there, but some people don't. They want a new start. A fresh one. What better way than to come here?" She swallows and gestures outside.

"But what about our plan? Of having someone rule in our stead?" he asks her.

"We have that same plan, except we send them to Meereen," she explains. "Many of these people know the history of the world, of Slaver's Bay and everything else. They would be willing to lead them, to govern them, while we stayed here and looked over the growing of Valyria. If people wanted to stay in their cities under the wardens that would run them, they can. But if they wish to start anew, they can come here. I mean, think of the possibilities, Jon…we have the wall taken down now. We can expand onto new lands, build buildings, and make Valyria the best capital in the world again…all based on peace. Of progression."

Jon stares up at her, and she sees a soft smile come over his lips. She tilts her head.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he murmurs, his hands still on her hips. "And how would these people get here?" he asks.

"Two things: A ship system…and bridges. It took us about a week to get here. The Valyrian people have ships – not many, but if we build more, we can send them off to the cities. When we collected goods from trade, if someone wanted to come, there could be some sort of compartment in the ship where villagers could travel off in. And with bridges, we could connect land that couldn't be connected before – like the Long Bridge in Volantis. There will be thousands of roads that lead back here, and people will come and become a part of-"

He cuts her off with his lips, effectively signaling an end to her tirade. But as her hands slinked around his neck to the back of his dark curls, she found she didn't care. When he pulls away, she sees that same soft smile from before.

"Jon, what is it?" she asks, her breathing heavy.

"You," he chuckles. "Everything about you. I just love you." He kisses her again, holding her hands in his. "I love you, and I love seeing this side of you," he continues when he pulls back, now brushing away her hair from her eyes. "How you just want to make their lives better…it's everything I thought you were and more. And that sounds like a brilliant idea."

She smiles at his words, her arms resting on his shoulders now. "We're going to have to tell everyone, though."

"I know," Jon states. "But I'm sure they'll accept it. As long as we still plan what we wanted to do all along, I believe this will be the start of something…magnificent."

Yes, that was the word that described it. "Magnificent," she whispers, before leaning down and pressing her lips to his again. Their embrace grows passionate by the second, her hands tangling into his hair as she feels his hardening cock push at the edge of his trousers along her thigh. She smirks against his lips. "Is that Longclaw down there?"

He snorts but doesn't take his lips off of hers. "Dany-"

"Hmm, possibly Blackfyre, then?"

That causes him to break, hiding his face in her neck as she feels his chest heave with laughter.

Daenerys feels herself chuckle before pulling his face back up to meet hers, letting herself melt against him in a slow kiss, one that had her toes curling and her insides doing flips. Her hands reach down below to undo his trousers, a familiar heat building up inside of her, her cunt beginning to moisten, dripping wet for her beloved.

But suddenly, as soon as she undoes his laces, there was a knock at the door. Daenerys freezes as she looks to the entrance, while she hears Jon curse from under her. "Who is it?"

"It's me, your grace," comes Taevar's voice from the other side. How was it that whenever she and Jon were this close to making love, their hand always had to come knocking? "People are waiting to address the king and queen."

Before she could speak, Jon's fingers reach underneath her slip, starting to rub slow, sensual circles around her sensitive nub. She glares at him as he tries to contain her moans, but he only smirks a little up at her and presses his lips against her skin, spreading soft kisses onto her. "Can it wait?" she asks her hand, her body going against her and grinding against Jon's hands.

She hears the man sigh from across the door. She knew at a certain point Taevar always got annoyed with how often they were together, but at the same time, she didn't care. "It's important, your grace. Someone from Meereen is here."

Daenerys stills, and she looks down at Jon in shock. Who would be here from Meereen, of all places? "Oh," she mutters. "We'll be out quickly. Tell whoever it is we will be coming."

She could feel Jon sigh underneath her, but she raises a finger to her lips, winking at him. His brow furrows at her questioning glance but doesn't say anything. "I'll tell them right away," she hears Taevar state before heading away. Once she could hear his footsteps fading around the corner, she wraps her legs around him tightly again and has her lips on his within seconds.

He doesn't fight her and pulls her close to him, his hands running over her skin. After a moment, she pulls off her slip, exposing her nude frame to him. At his hungry but questioning eyes, she reaches down and grabs his cock, slipping it in her while she slid down onto his full length. He gasps at the sudden movements. "D-Dany-"

"Fuck your queen quickly," she whispers to him. "I command you."

A grin spreads across his face, a devilish one that she knew meant she was in for some trouble. And as soon as his hands grip her hips so tightly, pulling her up and slamming her back down onto his cock, her question was answered, and her moans were echoing across the room, their skin slapping against each other.

---

Alright, maybe it took them a little longer than they wanted to.

Daenerys had said when she and Jon first started coupling again that they needed to learn to control their urges. They had been ruling for a good amount of time now and, well…it was still just as hard.

But even so, when they had ended the last of their coupling, breathless and sweaty from a good, hard fuck, they rushed to get their garments and clothes on to see who in this world could be visiting from Meereen. The walls hadn't been down for long, and Daenerys had no idea who it could be.

Before she stumbled into the throne room, however, Jon grabs her hand. She looks at him in confusion while he moves her hair over her shoulders.

"You, uh…got a bit of a mark…all over," he mumbles, his cheeks turning red.

Her brow furrows as she turns to look into a mirror, and then feels her own cheeks start to turn darker when she realizes what he was talking about. There were bruises – love marks – all over her neck.

"Good gods, Jon!" she whispers fiercely, her eyes turning to slits as she looks over at him. "You couldn't have put them in a little bit more of a discreet place?!"

"We didn't have time," he mutters as she helplessly places her hair on her neck, trying to hide them. "Besides, it's not my fault you taste so delicious."

"Oh, don't use that with me!" she whispers, rolling her eyes. She looks over to him and sees a soft smile appear on his cheeks, and she knew she couldn't be mad at him for being attracted to her. At the same time, all she wanted to do was smack it off his face. "I swear, if people didn't know any better, they would think you're abusing me."

"Well, that's most certainly not the case." He leans down and presses his lips against her, causing her to sigh softly. She could never be angry at him for too long. "And later, I'll be sure to follow what you say and make sure they are very discreet."

Daenerys rolls her eyes but smiles at him, already feeling warm at his small advance. But, she shakes it off and then opens the door, entering into the throne room with him behind her. The man's head was turned away, facing the front. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, we-"

"Gendry?!" she hears Jon say next to her.

Her brow furrows as she stops mid-step, wondering if what Jon said was true. It had to be a misfire. Gendry being here?

But sure as shit, there he was, turning back around to look at him. His hair had grown, but admiring his face, she knew it was the same Baratheon that she had legitimized all those years ago.

"Hello, my king and queen," the man states, bowing his head to them. Daenerys was still shocked still, staring at him in complete surprise while Jon comes forward, a grin on his face before hugging the man tightly. She understood why. Gendry had helped them in the Battle against the White Walkers, to keep Winterfell safe. He deserved as much proper treatment as the next.

But still…what the fuck?

"Gendry," Jon chuckles, pulling back from him. "How have you been? And how are you here?!"

"Yes," Daenerys finally states, breaking herself from her trance before walking forward to where the young man stood. "Arya has told me that you have been…residing in Meereen." She could see the boy's face grow hot at the mention of Jon's sister. "But I did not know you would be…coming here."

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, your grace," Gendry says, that same goofy smile she remembered from a long time ago. It was amazing that this was the man that Arya decided to be with, but she didn't blame her. He seemed sweet. "I know me coming to Meereen must have been a bit of a shock."

"It was indeed," Daenerys chuckles a little, walking closer to the man. "But what is the reason that you came here? How did you find us?"

"I can answer that," Arya admits softly, coming in from the doors. Daenerys raises an eyebrow to her, clearly questioning the girl. And Arya sighs, her cheeks turning red, the fourth person that day to do so. "I promise. I can explain everything. And so can he."

---

They walk for a bit until finding a secluded chamber, one where Gendry said they should go. When she asked the reason as to why they would have to go somewhere secluded, he said he and Arya would explain later.

So, when they did walk into the room, Daenerys sits across from Gendry, her brow raises in surprise at his eagerness. "Alright, we've come here. Now explain both of yourselves."

"Before you blame Arya, it was my fault," Gendry starts. He holds up what looks like a piece of parchment, showing it to them. "I wanted to come here for a reason."

"He sent me the letter about a week ago," Arya states softly, looking up from where she sat.

Daenerys' brow furrows. "What letter? What is going on?"

Arya walks over to where she stood and handed her another piece of parchment. Her eyes quickly read over it, showing it to Jon at the same time. It just had a couple of sentences.

'Arya,

Need to come. The queen needs to see what's been coming in.

Sorry for the short letter.

-Gendry.'

"This seemed rather fast-written," Jon points out, looking to him.

"It was because I needed to leave as soon as possible." Gendry lowers his head to Daenerys, and she hears him let out a soft sigh. "I am so sorry for not asking you before I came to Meereen, your grace. I understand if you would be mistrustful of myself as a Baratheon, but I can pledge to you that I will never send any word back to the king in Westeros."

Daenerys bites her lip but reaches out, taking the man's hand. "Gendry, there are so many other things that I have to be concerned about," she admits to him, causing him to make eye contact with her. "If anything, I have to think more of Bran seeing us through whatever vision power he has rather than you relaying information back to him. Arya has told me that you have been dedicated to me ever since I legitimized you."

"Which I can never thank you enough for," Gendry responds quietly.

"I know. And I'm still happy about that decision. If anything, I'd be more concerned with Arya. She's the one who's been inviting people that shouldn't normally be here." Arya sighs and shakes her head before standing, walking over to Daenerys.

"Alright, I never invited Gendry until I knew he would not speak. You know me. It's the reason why you took me in to take down enemies. And in my defense, I didn't know that he was coming here until the bloody letter showed up. He left almost as soon as I came here. And we were all a little tied up with the trial and the execution – I didn't want to worry you."

Daenerys sighs and runs her hands through her hair before standing. "I understand your reasons, but Arya, you need to realize that Jon and I are the rulers of this city, of this country we are trying to build, with people all over. If there is an issue, no matter what is happening, you have to tell us whether that be him or me. It's just what needs to be done. We are rulers. There are reasons why we were chosen."

Before Arya could speak, Jon does for her. "She's right, Arya," he states, causing the young woman to look over. "You have to tell us these things. People's lives are at stake. While I understand you didn't know how to tell us your 'boyfriend' was coming over properly-" Arya glares at the word. "It's something we had to know."

"Okay," she mutters. "Lesson learned, and I apologize. It won't happen again…but Gendry has some important correspondents. Three separate letters from areas that, um…you have to know about."

Gendry nods. "Yes, here is the first. Something, that uh…is going to require action. Well, at least two of these are." He holds out the piece of parchment he had been holding. Daenerys takes it into her hands and brings it over to Jon. It had the seal of Yunkai and Astapor. Before she could open the letter, however, Jon reaches over, taking it gently. At her look of confusion, he speaks.

"We should meet with the council," he says to her gently. "We were already planning on going to them to plan the invasion, and now that we're changing plans we have to tell them. It would be better this way for them to see what these letters are first."

Arya's brow furrows. "Changing plans? What do you mean?"

Daenerys sighs before turning to the two of them. "We can explain everything in there. Come with us. Gendry, I want you to present the letters to the council. Tell them who you are and what you've been doing in Meereen."

She sees the young man visibly gulp, but he nods. "Alright, your grace."

---

It doesn't take long for them to reach the council room, and once everyone was seated, Daenerys did a glance around the chamber to make sure everyone was there.

Of course, she and Jon sat at the front, while Kinvara was at her left and Taevar at Jon's right, who seemed to have written down multiple notes in a sketchbook. Magar sat next to him at the guard of the king and queen, and Rhaemon, his Master of War, sat next to the knight, analyzing what looked like a map.

At the very end of the table stood Arya, who was trying to whisper something to Gendry, who was staring at the table of officials. She didn't blame the boy. He had never seen something like this probably in all his days and hadn't experienced it as the Lord of Storm's End. This was perhaps all new.

But after a while, they both began the meeting, each person paying attention to detail. The first part – telling them about their new plan to stay in Valyria, as well as the system and infrastructure she wanted to put in place.

Of course, they had been shocked at first. For the longest of time, they had maintained this narrative that they were going to return to Meereen at some point and rule from there, but Daenerys didn't feel that it was going to be the best place for them to rule from when the people of Valyria had elected them to rule here.

Everyone had agreed after some much-needed conversation, and when she proposed about their new idea for a bridge connection more of the lands, Taevar had said he could get people to do it right away if need be, which made her even happier. The people they had chosen to watch over Valyria in their stead – an ancient family known at the Celtigars – would be instead moved to Meereen, and as many Valyrian's that wanted to expand there as well.

But even so, talking about this was only putting off the inevitable. And while they agreed to her plans now, Daenerys couldn't stop the little voice in the back of her head that said 'something is wrong. Why else would Gendry be here?'

So, after a certain amount of time, when Jon had finished talking about battle plans, and Kinvara had concluded her findings on some of the medicine that they had been using to help heal people's burns from the volcano (even after all this time, people were still hurting from the lava), she had enough. Her eyes turned to Gendry, and she plastered a reassuring smile on her lips.

"Gendry Baratheon," she states, causing the quiet boy to freeze. "You have traveled to Valyria at a far distance to share some information with us. I think it's time you did."

"Right, I wanted to hear about this," Taevar states, crossing his arms against his chest. "Wouldn't tell me unless the king and queen were present. Had to interrupt their 'morning time'- "

"You didn't interrupt anything," Daenerys instantly states, her cheeks turning red at Taevar's statement. She could almost feel Jon's quiet smirk from where he sat, but no words escape him. "What matters is that he is here now."

"I should get the right to know as the hand."

"And now you will! So be quiet," Daenerys states, rolling her eyes. "I swear, every hand is so picky – Gendry, what is it? What are these letters? I saw Astapor and Yunkai. Please. Tell us."

Gendry seemed surprised that Daenerys had stood up for him in front of Taevar, but it was true. She and Jon were the rulers. Out of anyone who had a 'right to know,' it was them. Taevar would wait and listen like any other normal hand – even though he was quite useful to them.

Arya reaches over and squeezes Gendry's hand, giving him a reassuring nod and encouraging him to speak. The boy visibly gulps but stands. He fumbles the papers for a moment, causing Arya to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration while Daenerys holds back a laugh, but he regains his composure and looks to the room.

"P-People of Valyria," he stutters, and his voice cracks and Daenerys could just about see Arya die at the way he brought it up, but after a moment, he clears his throat and continues to speak. "You must forgive any inconsistencies in my reactions today. For a long time, the idea of a hidden Valyria was something we never thought possible in Westeros – or even the rest of the world. And now to find out two of the greatest assets Westeros has ever seen are the people who are ruling it is quite a surprise. Nevertheless, there has been news that the king and queen need to know. Yes, I know I did not tell you in the meeting hall, but that was because it was an urgent business that I believe everyone should hear."

He lays down the letter in front of Daenerys, who takes it into her hands. Looking at it, it seemed like a little bit of gibberish to her. It just seemed to be a map of Meereen with some lines drawn around it. But as soon as she showed it to Jon, he all but lost every ounce of color in his face.

"Jon, what is it?" she asks him.

"This…this is bad, is what it is," Jon mutters before turning his eyes back to her. "Daenerys, these are battle plans for an invasion to Meereen. You can tell from the lines they drew in a specific formation, to hit them from the back of the city and move forward, to make their way towards the pyramid."

Daenerys feels her eyes widen in shock before she turns to look at Gendry. "Is this true?"

"Sadly, so, your grace," he confirms. "When Arya had left to come to your aid, she left me in charge with the guards there. While we were figuring out the best course of action to come up with security for the city, we were given this. Your men intercepted one of the deliveries. These were battle plans that we believe Yunkai and Astapor were sending to three other cities nearby – Mantarys, Elyria, and Tolos."

"They were planning a several-city siege," Jon states, throwing the plans onto the table. "If these weren't delivered, does that mean only Astapor and Yunkai were made aware of these battle plans?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Gendry states. "We only found this one set of plans, and we believe there were three, so I think they might have made it to two of the other cities but left out of one."

Daenerys places her head in her hands. "You know what they are planning to do from the look of this," she states after a moment, her eyes glazing over the writing. "They're planning on hurting the innocent people within the walls because they know it's the only way they could get to the pyramid. The Dothraki that have sworn themselves to me are on the other side, as it is land. They are planning an assault by ship…like what they did when I first returned to Meereen. Except with hundreds of others."

"What did you do the first time?" Rhaemon asks from where he stood, his eyes looking over the plans.

"I burned all their ships down," she admits, looking up at him. "At least most of them, but this is different. It's not just Yunkai and Astapor now. It's three other cities plus them. I can only imagine how many forces they plan to bring. They have been wanting to take me down for years after seeing how I changed Meereen."

"You said you received these letters a week ago, right?" Jon asks Gendry, who nods. "Do you believe they could be there soon?"

"Completely," Gendry states. "The cities aren't that far from Meereen by boat. I would suggest they could be there tomorrow."

"Fuck," Daenerys curses as she stands, walking over to the window. She knew something like this would happen, but she didn't think that quickly. "They're only doing this because they think I am there. If they knew I wasn't, maybe they would hold off the invasion until we arrived."

"If anything, I think that might fuel them on even more," Jon admits from where he stood. Daenerys stares at him in surprise, but he only continues to speak. "Think about it, Dany. That would give them free reign of the city. You only have your guards – because the Dothraki will not follow them, only you, and will probably run at the first chance when their Khaleesi is not there. And compared to them, they will be outnumbered. They could easily take the city because the innocent people won't stand a chance against the thousands of soldiers they'll bring."

Daenerys swallows and glances at the table, her mind whirling. "Then what do we do?" she asks them, her voice quiet. "If this is true, then they are going to be able to attack tomorrow. There is no way we can get there in time unless-"

"We fly," Rhaemon finishes, but with a distinct look in his eye. "We could all fly."

Jon's brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"Our queen has a point, as does – what is your name? Gendry?" The young man nods. "It is far too late for us to bring our whole army there to take out these ships. It would take a whole day to get them on a boat, plus the week it would add on to travel to Meereen. By then, the city would be in ruins. But…we have the advantage of dragons. A whole slew of dragonriders that have sworn themselves to you so that they could protect you and fight alongside you. A slew of dragonriders that no one in the world knows about. With how quick they are, we can get there within a day, before sunrise, even. If we all fly there tomorrow and attack head-on as they are taking the city, they don't stand a chance. We could burn them all. Destroy their ships. Kill their masters. It puts our children at risk, but I believe it is the only option if we are to keep Meereen standing."

"And it would send a message to the slave cities," Jon responds. "We've been planning on taking them anyway as ours – this would be the perfect opportunity to do so."

"I can't."

Everyone's heads turn to Daenerys at her words, a mix of shock and surprise writing across their faces. The very idea made her stomach sick.

"Why do you say that?" Taevar asks from where he stood. "It's the perfect plan. And a quick one, too."

"I…don't know how comfortable I would feel letting the whole world know about us so quickly," she says, trying to cover up the true fear deep within her. But Jon could see right through that because he stood and walked over to her side.

"They were going to find out about us soon anyway, Daenerys," he says to her gently. "Is this about something else?"

At her quiet expression, Kinvara stands and walks to her other side, grabbing her hand.

"With all due respect, your grace," she begins softly. "This is the best option if we want to keep your people alive."

"We won't be keeping anyone alive if we burn them," Daenerys says, her voice low and filled with anger. She turns her gaze back to them as her eyes begin to soften, and her chest heaves with a heavy sigh. "I once wanted to siege a city because of power. But I ended up killing thousands of innocent lives because of my dragon. I know I wasn't under my own control, but even so, I refuse to take part in a plan where these innocent lives are still within their own homes, and there's even a chance they could be burned. I'm not doing that again."

Her demand was final, leaving no room for arguments, and she knew none of them could blame her. They all knew the stories. They all understood what had happened.

Finally, Jon's voice spoke up from where he stood. "What if there wasn't a risk?"

She looks up at him, her brow furrowed. "How can there not be a risk?"

"I mean, what if we got them out of the city? Before the enemy arrived tomorrow?" He looks to Taevar and then to Arya and Gendry. "I could ride into the city on Jonarys, and Taevar on his dragon and both of us could bring Arya and Gendry, as the people of Meereen have come to see them there, and get them out before any attack happens. You and Rhaemon could stay here and prepare the dragonriders to take flight later tonight to reach the encampment, and then tomorrow, once the innocents are out of the city, we strike."

"You want to fly back there alone without any backup?!" she asks him, her voice raising an octave.

"It's the only chance we have of getting them out safely, Dany," Jon says to her calmly.

She knew why he would speak like that. She was scared – as she rightfully should bloody be.

"Y-you can't," she stutters, trying to think of some excuse for him not to go alone. "You can't speak the tongue of the people. They won't understand you. It's not just High Valyrian. It's mixed with Old Ghiscari."

"I could go," Kinvara responds. Daenerys stares at the woman in surprise. "I can speak all languages that any world has ever known. It's a gift that was bestowed upon me. If he needed help translating for the people of Meereen, I could be there."

"But what if they are already there? And planning a surprise attack?" She knew she was spiraling, but every time she looked at Jon, thinking of him going there with just Taevar, Arya and Gendry, it made her head spin.

"My queen," Magar states. "I truly believe that if they were already there, they would have been dead a long time ago. People who were of the old Empire are very stubborn and set in their ways. They wouldn't wait. They would attack as soon as they arrived."

Daenerys looks between every person in the room, trying to see if someone agreed with her, but it seemed everyone was on board with going there before. And that scared the living hell out of her. But she knew that if she was outnumbered, there was no point in fighting it. It was what they had to do if they wanted to keep their cities safe.

"Then…why can't I go too?" she asks Jon, trying to see his point of view. "The Meereen people follow me. They will surely come with me if I lead them out safely. You could stay here and prepare the dragonriders."

"Daenerys, you're the expert between the two of us," Jon says to her. "You understand how to get to Meereen the quickest. You know the routes better than me. You'd be able to describe where we have to go to the dragonriders much easier than I would. I only know one route. And it will be futile once the enemies begin to attack tomorrow. It has to be you that stays."

Daenerys bites her lip before looking at the ground. So many fears were ridden in her head. As much as she and Jon had been residing in Valyria, she had never really thought about what would happen after they began leaving the safety of their walls. Of course, she knew there was fear, and battles, and everything in between, but she didn't think it would happen so quickly…only a week later, and here they were, planning on this.

But she knew it was going to come. It was only a matter of when.

"Alright," she whispers, more to herself than the room, before looking to everyone else. "Alright. Then we can do that. The moment this meeting is done Jon, Arya, Gendry, and Taevar must return to Meereen with Kinvara to help the innocents out of their homes before the burning. We can't allow any more to die for the sake of our city. Later today, we will join you along the coast." She turns her head to look at him. "Wherever you take these people, you need to make sure they are hidden from sight. Even away from the Dothraki. There has to be some space around there that is free for them to stay in before we attack."

"We'll make sure of it," Jon reassures her.

Daenerys nods, letting out a deep breath before looking at Gendry. "You said there were three messages. I don't know how the other two could be more important."

"Well, they're not. But it's something you need to know all the same," Gendry says to her before handing the second piece of parchment and placing it into Jon's hands. His brow raises in surprise.

"This is the sigil of the Greyjoy's," he states, causing Daenerys to take the letter and look at the stamp. As sure as day, it was, with the Kraken against the black background.

Gendry nods. "Yara has wished to speak with the queen. Apparently, she has been along the seas of Meereen for a while but hasn't stopped by because she wanted an appropriate invitation first. Her men have been looking along the seas of Sothoryos for supplies."

Daenerys' brow furrows. "I thought the Greyjoy's had plenty of harvest on their islands. She said she only needed a couple of things from the region. It's why they wished to remain independent."

"They did. And then Bran's men destroyed it," Gendry responds solemnly.

Her eyes widen, and her brow rises in surprise. "What do you mean he destroyed it all?"

Gendry sighs and turns to Arya, who again nods and encourages him to keep talking. "I'm sure Arya told you that a lot of places in Westeros asked for independence after Bran gifted it to the North, but a good reason as to why they didn't get it was because he quite literally wouldn't allow it. And if they fought him over it, he would send thousands of men to get rid of the crops and burn down any other resources. Now, they've been struggling just to make ends meet for the people who live there. It's been awful. Yara had to take her people away so that they could somehow be given something when they got back."

Daenerys shares a look with Jon, who was silent at the information. "How could Bran do such a thing?"

"I don't know," Jon says tiredly. "I'm telling you…he's not the same. Not at all."

Daenerys bites her lip and looks to the third letter that Gendry had removed. "Is that what the third one is about as well? Someone from Westeros wants to meet with us?"

"No," Gendry says. "It's not a meeting…more of a plea. They sent a secret note from the North." He holds it up to Jon, who takes it with a shaky hand. Daenerys looks to the handwriting, and she familiarizes herself with it for a moment. It did remind her of how Arya wrote, sort of that Northern script. But this seemed to be from someone who didn't write as well.

"Gods," she hears Jon whisper before he lowers the parchment back to the ground. "This person…I can barely read their writing, but all I see is that they're hurting…they have no food. No water…what is Sansa doing?" He runs his hands through his hair before looking over at Daenerys. "I never liked being king of the North but…whatever she is doing is hurting the people."

"I know that you're focused on Essos right now," Gendry states after he lowers the letters down to the table once more. "And that's alright. It's your domain. It's the people who love you…but I can't stand here and say that people don't need your help – because they do."

"Why should they go back there?" Taevar asks, his voice raised a bit. "They betrayed both of them. The people of the North included."

"The nobles did," Gendry responds. "They never understood what Daenerys and Jon were trying to build or do – but the innocent lives of the ones who need help…they never did anything to deserve this. Please." His eyes turn back to where the two monarchs stood. "I know that they aren't your responsibility, and you owe nothing to Westeros. All it ever did was hurt you…but the people need help. They need aid. Something."

Daenerys bites her lip and shares a look with Jon. The last thing either of them wanted to do, at least right now, is go back to the place that hurt them and their lives. If there were a way they could help from a distance, it would work well. But for now, she truly did not know if they would be able to.

"We'll…have to speak of it," she concludes, looking to Gendry. "I know that the people are suffering, but…I can't afford to risk my children's lives. As much as we hated those two monarchs before us, Saeresa had a point when she told me that their lives are in danger now that the wall is down."

"I understand," Gendry says, bowing his head. Daenerys nods, but she felt terrible. A part of her wanted to help these people, but if she had to risk their lives to do so – especially in the North – she didn't know.

She takes a seat next to Jon and holds the piece of parchment from Yara in her hands a moment later. "I do believe having her as an ally would help us. We want to improve a ship system so that trading between the cities would work better once we start to have them under our control. The Greyjoys have some of the best ships out there." She turns to Taevar. "Could you send a note to Yara and tell her to meet us in the bay tomorrow in Meereen? If she is close, we can kill two birds with one stone."

"Right away, my queen," Taevar states, but stops short. "What does the Greyjoy sigil look like? Sorry – not up to date with my Westeros knowledge."

Jon snorts a bit but nods. "It's not your problem. It's a golden Kraken against a black background. Should be in their sails." Taevar nods and heads off to the writing room, leaving him to look at the map of Meereen for the battle tomorrow. "Alright, let's talk this through."

Daenerys watched as he planned, his hands moving gracefully across the battlefield, but a part of her kept thinking what would happen now? This was happening. They were truly beginning their reign.

And honestly, it frightened her a bit.

---

The meeting went on for another two hours, while Jon, Rhaemon, and Magar all planned their moves for when the rest of the dragonriders would arrive. Daenerys had weighed in on specific flight patterns, but after that, she had stayed silent regardless, her thoughts stirring.

Once almost all of the council had left, however, she had thought of something. Before Arya could go with Jon, she called out to her.

"Arya?" she asks, causing the young woman to turn, who was helping Gendry out of the room. "Would I be able to speak with you?"

Jon's brow furrows. "Is everything alright, Dany?"

"Of course, my love," Daenerys feigns. "Just women stuff I have to speak with her about."

Arya raises an eyebrow at her, clearly seeing through her lie, but Jon and Gendry – being men – leave quietly, mumbling sorries. Once they were gone, Arya snorts and closes the door. "There is absolutely no way that what you are talking to me about is 'women stuff.'"

"No, it's not," Daenerys chuckles a bit before taking a seat at the table. She gestures to the spot next to her. "Have a seat."

Arya looks at her, concerned for a moment before walking to her side. "If this is still about Gendry, I already told you it wouldn't happen again."

"I understand, Arya," she says softly to her. "Honestly, I'm proud of him for thinking so quickly and for asking you before. You were smart, even if it wasn't told to us. You had your reasons – without him being here, we wouldn't have known about the invasion."

"If it helps, I didn't know either," Arya points out. "I was just concerned because he said it was extremely important."

"Nevertheless, it was good that he was here. But in the future, please, tell me. We're supposed to be a team, and we all help each other. It's why Jon and I entrusted you to be our assassin." Arya chuckles at the term, but the nervous look on her face showed she wasn't amused too much. "However…that is what we are going to be speaking about."

She reaches over and grabs the young woman's hand. Daenerys and Arya had had plenty of training in the past as partners, and she had grown to care for the girl, but Daenerys wouldn't deny that she had seen the fear on the girl's face when Gendry brought up the letter from the North.

Arya looks at her quietly as Daenerys squeezes the girl's hand. "I saw how you looked when Gendry brought up the letter…judging by the writing, it seemed to be a little girl who sent it." Arya looks at the table, her gaze anywhere but the dragon queens. "Tell me…are you thinking of going back there?"

The Northern girl was silent, but Daenerys could see that she was taking breaths. "I…I don't want to, Daenerys," she admits after a moment, looking up at her.

"But you feel you have to," Daenerys finishes for her, which causes the Stark girl to sigh. "I've always understood that you've been here really for Jon…but if you wanted to go back because of what damage they are in, I wouldn't stop you."

"No," Arya instantly states, causing Daenerys to look up in surprise. "Dany, you-I'm sorry, am I allowed to call you that? I know that's…Jon's nickname for you."

Daenerys smiles a bit at Arya's quick comment. "That's alright, Arya. Don't worry."

"I…I'm not here just for Jon," Arya says softly. "The only reason why I'm even alive right now is that I grew so close to you after what I tried to do at the festival. I love that Jon is happy. He has a family now, someone who loves him…who I know is going to end up being my good-sister one day." Daenerys feels her smile widen a little more at her statement but doesn't say anything. "I know that we mistreated you when you first visited, and I've apologized so many times for that, but everything is much more different now. I'm here because I want to help you and Jon. Both of you have done such an amazing job so far, and I can only imagine how far you are going to go…but I can't turn my back on those people. I know you and Jon hate Sansa…I don't think I could ever hate her but, I'm not her biggest fan right now either. But those people there that need help are innocent, and are hurting…I don't know how to feel about it because clearly, something is wrong."

Daenerys nods, understanding where the girl was coming from. She didn't blame her for feeling that way. She had grown up in the North. It was her home. And Daenerys knew that it would be hard for someone like her to easily just let it slide.

"I know," Daenerys says, letting out a deep sigh. "Which is why I was thinking of something that you could do to aid them."

Arya's brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

Daenerys bites her lip and glances towards the window. "Jon and I can't return to the North. Not for a long time." She looks back at Arya. "We can't even really return to Westeros for a while. We have to be careful about where we spread because there are enemies everywhere, and I don't want to risk my family's lives more than I have to. We might have dragons, but that doesn't mean I want all of them on spears like Rhaegal."

"I understand," Arya says quietly.

"But," Daenerys starts, letting out a low sigh. "I do feel slightly responsible for what is happening to the North."

Arya's brow raises this time. "What? Why?"

"Because if I had truly taken the throne and not fallen for their mind tricks, I probably wouldn't have given the North independence," she states simply, looking over at Ayra. "I know that was important to your sister, but there's just not enough to sustain up there. The North needs help, but they're all bloody stubborn…even so, even if I do not rule there, I want to help. Which is why I'm entrusting you."

She stands and walks over to another map, pulling it out from a book and laying it in front of the Stark girl, one of Westeros from a while ago.

"Keep in mind that this is reliant on Jon saying yes too. He is my partner. But I wanted to let you know of the idea beforehand." Arya nods, looking down at the map as Daenerys points to each spot. "You and I both know that the main source of imports come in at White Harbor. It's the biggest city in the North and therefore helps immensely with supplies. Clearly, since the North has become independent, trying to keep trade deals going must have gone down because of the Westeros' less influence, so it hasn't been getting the proper nutrients they need."

She sighs and glances at the ground, before moving her eyes back to Arya.

"I am willing to send some of my men as well as you and our supplies under disguise so that the innocent people of the North can receive the help they need, but only if they never find out that we are doing so. Maybe at a certain time, we can reveal that it was us, but for now, it's just not the right moment. Have it be an act that Sansa committed or something like that."

Ayra looks at her in surprise. "Don't you think Bran might know?"

"Bran knows that I am alive, but he has had no idea that we are here," Daenerys explains. "The wall made sure of it…if he knows now, I'm not sure, but I haven't had any inkling to believe he would have any sort of knowledge…even so, even if he did, I don't think he'd tell the North. He's too busy doing…whatever he's doing."

The young girl was quiet, looking down at the map. "That's quite selfless, you know." Daenerys looks back at Arya. "What you want to do…not even taking credit for it. Even if she's my sister, I don't think it's right for her to take that…even taking care of people that aren't even yours."

"Arya, my entire life thus far has been taking care of the people who need it, as much as others don't believe that," she chuckles a bit. "To me, this just feels like another day. And trust me…if Westeros and I were on good terms, I would let them know it was me, but thanks to Sansa and Bran, that's pretty much…nonexistent at this point." She bites her lip and leans back in her chair. "I want to help as much as I can, even if they don't know it's me. No one deserves to suffer."

Arya looks at her silently, her eyes looking back at the map before nodding. "I can do that," she finally says. "If Jon is alright with it as well."

Daenerys nods. "I'll speak to him about it tonight when I arrive at the battle camp."

Arya grabs the map and looks back at Daenerys. "Thank you…for doing this."

Daenerys could feel so many emotions rattle up inside of her, even the part that said she was stupid to be helping people that were so far and didn't realize it was her, but she just pushed it down and smiled a bit, nodding her head. "You don't need to thank me."

Because this was what she did. At least, now she was trying to. And if for some reason she and Jon did go back to Westeros, this could at the very least be the first step.

She stands as she walks the girl out, letting out a low sigh of relief, before turning to look down at Arya. "Are you excited about your first dragon ride to Meereen?"

Arya snorts before looking over at her. "I'm excited yet terrified." She shakes her head and looks at the ground. "I don't know how you and Jon do it. Hell, all of these dragonriders do it. I look at those creatures, and I'm mesmerized but one false move and your dead."

"It's sort of like sparring, isn't it?' Daenerys asks her, causing Arya to look up in confusion. "I know it's without the height difference, but it is true that if you make a false move while fighting someone with a sword, you're pretty much dead as well. This just adds on an extra factor."

"True, true – I suppose I face that every day of my life." Arya chuckles and looks back at her. "I'm more concerned about what's going to happen to Gendry. He's going to freak out!" A smile laces Daenerys' lips, thinking of the Baratheon boy riding a dragon. He was probably going to scream.

"That is true," Daenerys chuckles. Their feet carry them into the foyer, and she watches quietly as Jon talked over the plan with Taevar. She lets out a low sigh before looking back at Arya. "I am happy Gendry came to tell us – just please let us know next time. I'm thinking of a million things that could happen to Jon because this is so last minute."

"He's going to be okay," Arya reassures her gently. "He's Jon. He's always okay."

"Until he dies again," Daenerys mutters, leaning against the wall.

Arya slowly nods her head. "Touché. But I don't think that's going to happen." She looks over at Daenerys and squeezes her shoulder. "He's going to save all those people with us, and then you're going to come in and beat their asses. Quick and as simple as that."

"I hope you're right, Arya." She steps away from the girl. "I should probably go and tell the children about this, so I'll be back here in a little bit to say goodbye to their father. After that, I will rally the dragonriders at nightfall, and we will fly. Probably reach there around a couple of hours before sunrise."

Arya nods and goes to join Jon and the others, but before she does, she turns around and smiles at Daenerys. "Thank you…for everything."

The dragon queen lets out a soft nod, offering a quiet smile as Arya turns back around to collect her things for their flight. As Daenerys turns to approach her children's chambers, she could only feel herself let out a slow and long breath, closing her eyes.

She hoped that she didn't regret this if Jon agreed, but at least she could say that she tried.

---

The children hadn't been in their rooms, so out of curiosity, Daenerys had looked through every single area until she could finally hear their voices coming from the training pit. While this shouldn't have surprised – as every single one of them, even Nesy, had been practicing swordwork for a while now – it was shocking to see every single one of them together.

But what she didn't think she would hear would be fighting.

"I can't believe you wouldn't tell me!" she heard Dan cry, which instantly made Daenerys rush forward to see what was happening.

She appears through the doorway and looks down, and sees that tears were streaming down her daughter's cheeks, but was backing away from Daemon. "I didn't mean to – I just didn't know how!"

"Oh, so you tell a small girl about this but not your sister? What happened to sticking together?!" she exclaims. Daenerys walks forward as she sees Mae holding Nesara close to her, while Zaevar was trying to stand between the two siblings, holding out his arms. "How could you keep this from me?!"

"What is going on?" Daenerys shouts from the steps, coming to Dan's side. The girl sinks into her embrace while her eyes were glaring slits at her brother. At Dan's sad state and Daemon's bickering, she turns to Zaevar. "What happened?"

"We were training," Zaevar begins. "Daemon was against Mae, and he accidentally hurt her. She was bleeding badly, and we wanted to make sure we could help the wound before we found someone to stitch her, but Daemon, he...he used some sort of blood sorcery to force the blood back in and heal her skin. Dan didn't know about this, but apparently, Nesara…can do this too." He looks over at Nesy with a concerned brow. "Something, none of us,knew."

Daenerys looks down at Dan but doesn't say anything, biting her lip. But her daughter was smart. So smart. And as soon as she saw that look, she backs away from her arms.

"Dan-"

"You knew!"

"It wasn't my place to tell you," Daenerys says to her gently. "It happened to Daemon after the volcano, and it's happened to Nesara for years now."

Dan shakes her head, taking a step back. She looks to Mae and Zaevar. "Did either of you know about this?!"

"I just said we had no idea," Zaevar states, rolling his eyes. "But for us, it makes more sense. Mae was always kept away from our training, and the fire mages and healers never met many times before you two took over."

Dan shakes her head and moves away. "I still can't believe this…how could you not tell us? Or any of us?"

"I didn't know how to," Daemon says, his voice displaying the exhaustion. "You and I both know what type of reputation that blood sorcery has. Even mother was frightened of it at first."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Mother, you looked like a spirit from how quickly the color left your face," Daemon states bluntly, causing Daenerys' cheeks to turn red. "But I understood that. We know what you went through when you had a child the first time. We understand that. But I…I didn't know how to tell you." He looks over at Dan again. "The only reason I told Nesara was that she told me first. We're both healers. She had gone through the same situation that I had with their parents. I wanted to tell you. You know I love you. I would never keep a secret from you but this…it's different."

Dan swallows, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. But as she went to open her mouth, there was a voice that came from them above.

"Dany." She turns her head to see Jon standing there, and she instantly felt her heart drop. He had his hair pulled back like how it used to be, whenever she knew he would be getting into a fight or some war. His sword was at the ready. "It's time."

"What's time?" Dan instantly asks, rushing forward. "What's going on? Why is no one telling us anything?!"

Tears start to come down her skin once more, and Daenerys takes the girl into her arms, letting out a deep sigh. "We all need to go to the perch. Now."

---

As soon as they reach where Jonarys and Taevar's dragon would take off to go to Meereen, each of the children were crying, not for the secrets that had been kept but for the fear they felt. Daenerys had explained the whole situation to them as they walked, trying to detail as much as possible, so they didn't feel left out. It wasn't like she had meant to have that happen – it was just unfortunate timing.

Mae and Nesara hugged Jon the tightest, with Mae even having to pry Nesy from his arms when she refused to leave. He had given the girl a soft kiss against the forehead and promised he would come back to them.

Zaevar had embraced him too, but he pulled himself back, clearly trying to be tough. Jon hadn't let that go, however, as he pulled the boy back into his arms when he could see his lip start to tremble. From where Daenerys had stood with Nesara in her arms now, she could hear Zaevar say to him, "Please don't leave us alone again."

She hears Jon sigh shakily before pulling back, his hands on the boy's shoulder. "I'm not leaving you or your sisters again. I will be back."

Zaevar nods and steps back before Dan and Daemon come running at him with two massive hugs. Jon grunts at the brute impact but hugs them tightly, holding them close to his chest. Dan is the first one to pull back, fire in her eyes.

"We can fight! Bring us!" she whispers fiercely.

Jon chuckles a bit and shakes his head. "One day, I will have all of you fighting by our sides, but this is not your fight. Not yet."

"But…but we can use our magic or…something!" Daemon states. "We can't let you do this alone!"

"I won't be alone," he reassures them softly. "I'm going to be with your aunt and a bunch of other reliable people. They are all going to help me. And later on, your mother and all of her friends will too. We're going to make it out of this."

Dan's lip trembles again, and she sucks in a sob. "…why is everything changing so quickly?"

Daenerys feels her heart break at her daughter's voice. She comes over to her side, and instantly the girl throws her arms around her, hiding her face in her hand. Dan was a strong girl, one that had been through a lot, but at the end of the day, she was a child that was watching her father go somewhere that he could get hurt at. And later on, her mother. All of these children had the right to be upset.

"I know that this is serious," Jon says to her gently, taking her hand in his. "But we're going to be okay. I promise you this." He leans in and presses a kiss against her forehead, before moving over to Daemon and doing the same. Once he pulls back, he lets out a soft smile. "And as soon as I do return, you can show me some awesome moves you've been learning."

Daemon lets out a soft laugh and takes his sister next to him, holding her hand gently. She was happy to see her getting along again. She knew they would have to talk about the secret, but sooner or later, they had to stay together. Fighting was not a solution to the world they were living in.

"Go say goodbye to your aunt and the others. I have to speak to your father," Daenerys whispers to Dan and Daemon. The two embrace Jon one more time before running off with the Galeron's. Mae gently takes Nesara from her arms, leaving Daenerys and Jon alone.

She looks up at Jon and lets out a deep sigh. The sun was only a bit into the sky, and yet it felt like the day had lasted for hours already.

Jonerys lets out a soft screech at her expression, and she smiles a bit, reaching over and scratching the dragon's scales. "The last time you were on a dragon going into some sort of battle was Rhaegal," she murmurs.

"I suppose it was," Jon states, smiling a bit. "I miss him." Daenerys raises an eyebrow at him, and he nods. "I do. I didn't know him for long, but I did form some sort of bond with him…he was sweet, kinder than, uh…Drogon." Daenerys chuckles a bit, looking at the ground. "I only hope Aryeon is the same."

"You haven't told Arya about the name yet, have you?" Daenerys asks him.

"I'll tell her while we're getting people out…maybe later. For now, I think the main focus is trying to get the citizens to safety before the rest of you arrive." He looks back to her, and she feels herself curse because her eyes were glowing with unshed tears. His face immediately drops. "Dany…"

"I know," she instantly states, swallowing the fear that was lying deep in her throat. "I know this isn't a battle yet, and you're going to help people, but I…I feel like I'm Dan right now. Everything is changing so quickly." She looks back at him, wiping away a stray tear that escapes, trickling down her cheek. "We have tried for so long to begin this reign, and now, it is happening…when I first started collecting people to take back the Iron Throne, I not only wanted power but I…I just wanted to go home. Now…I feel like I've finally found my home…and even if this isn't a true fight yet or anything, I…I don't want to lose it…I don't want to lose you."

Jon brings his hands up to her cheeks and gently presses her lips to his, their forehead resting against each other when he pulls away. "You could never lose me, Dany."

"That's what all the men say before they're ushered off to war," she mumbles.

"Yes, but I am not a regular man," he reassures her gently. "And you are not a regular woman. We are not a regular family."

"You don't have to sound so cocky about it," she chuckles a bit, to which he rolls his eyes.

"It's not cocky if it's true, because it is. Nothing is going to happen to me, and I can assure you that I am going to come back here. And we are going to rule, and everything is going to happen exactly as we please…I know it's all happening so fast, but that's just our lives. It's been like that for a while. But I know that if it's us, we are going to be fine."

She swallows and nods, reaching up to grab his hand. "I understand."

He kisses her again and nuzzles his nose against hers before a gentle smirk crosses his lips. "And tonight, when we're safe in tents waiting for those bastards to attack, I'll make sure to make slow and sweet love to you to reassure you that yes, I am right there and still very much alive."

A giggle escapes her mouth, but she pushes it down gently, looking up at him. "I love you…be safe."

"I will." He presses one last kiss to her lips and squeezes her hands. "And I love you too…and I'll see you tonight."

Daenerys nods softly as he steps away from her, letting her hand drop. He walks over to Arya, who was busy hugging Dan tightly and nudges at her shoulder, nodding to Jonarys. The young woman lets go of the girl, and each of the children rushes back to Dany's side, watching as Jon helped Arya onto the dragon. Daenerys looks over to Taevar, who was helping a very reluctant Gendry and an eager Kinvara onto the back of his own, its yellow scales sparkling in the light of the early day.

"Oh, and Dany?" She looks back to Jon, who had a soft smile on his cheeks. "Remind me that when we're done with those master's tomorrow that I have to ask you something."

Her brow furrows. "Ask me what? You can't do so now?"

"It has to be after this. But will you remind me?"

She could see from the look on his face that it was something important, something that meant a lot to him. Why he couldn't say it now, before he went off to possibly get his dragon shot down, was beyond her. But, quietly, she nods her head. "Of course, Jon." To which he nods, his gaze moving to his sister.

As the young woman settled herself behind her brother, Arya wraps her arms tightly around Jon, her eyes wide and looking down at the ground beneath them. He turns his head and smiles at her. "You ready to fly?"

Daenerys sees the girl visibly swallow before she nods. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Jon nods and looks back to Daenerys. "Make sure that the route you and the other dragonriders take is away from the bay. Around the edge. I'm sure you have a path you can travel on." To which she nods. She knew the exact way. "If everything goes well, we should be out of the city at a decent time tonight…I'll see you then."

Daenerys nods softly. "Safe travels."

"How safe can it be if it's on a dragon?" Arya mutters.

Jon snorts before turning his head forward, holding onto the scales of Jonarys. "Sōvegon," he says to the dragon, and within moments, it was leaping off into the sky. Taevar's dragon followed almost instantly. And Daenerys felt herself laugh with a hand to her mouth at the scream from Arya followed by a loud shout of joy, and the terror that escaped Gendry's mouth while holding on for dear life to Taevar.

She watched until they were far out of sight when the last rays of her beloved's scales disappeared beyond the skyline. Only then did her daughter sigh and glance at the ground before stepping away.

"I'm going to go to my chambers," came her quiet voice, and before Daenerys could say anything, she was out of the perch and heading right back into the castle. Daemon sighs from where he stood, and Daenerys gently rests a hand on his shoulder.

"Go talk with her," she encourages him. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes. I just need to go over some things with the generals."

Daemon nods and gives a soft smile before heading off, glad that she wasn't angry about keeping this a secret from her. She didn't blame him. This was a severe change in his life, and even she barely knew how to process it, but it was what had to happen.

She turns her eyes to Mae, who had been quite quiet. "How have you been? This whole fight started because of a gash he gave you?"

"I'm alright…surprised, but alright," she admits, chuckling a bit. "I've seen blood sorcerers before, so it didn't shock me. I think Dan was more upset that he kept it a secret for so long."

"What about…Nesy being that way?" Daenerys asks, letting the little girl sitting in her arms.

Zaevar shrugs, as does Mae. "I don't think there's that much of a difference…she's still our little sister. She hasn't changed…I'm a little more concerned about what's going to be happening in Meereen if we're honest. Sort of wish we were told about that."

Daenerys sighs. "It only happened this morning, don't be too upset. I was on my way to tell you about it when this whole fiasco happened…" She looks to the two eldest siblings and presses her hands against their shoulders. "Neither of you need to be concerned. We're going to be returning soon. All you have to do is promise me you'll take care of each other while we are gone."

"That we can do!" Mae says as Nesara comes into her arms, giggling at her little fingers tickling underneath the girl's ribcage. Daenerys smiles and stands.

"Good. Now head off and do some more training. I'm going to go speak with Dan…and please, no more gashes or cuts."

"No promises," Zaevar responds while they walk off, their sister wrapped around their arms. Daenerys sighs and shakes her head, chuckling a bit before turning her gaze back to the sky. Once the doors of the perch close behind her, she lets out a deep sigh full of anxiety and anticipation, but as she stood there, she remembered Jon's words that he had said.

'Have faith in us. Have faith in our family.'

And she did - more than anything.

As nervous as she was about the upcoming invasion, a new emotion took over that she hadn't felt in a long time, one of confidence. This wasn't Westeros. This wasn't another world. These were the people that she knew. And she wasn't about to let her past life or experiences stop her from doing what they wanted to do – help people.

For their sake, she hoped that those slave masters were ready. Because they were about to rain fire down onto their whole lives. The Targaryen's – as well as Valyria – have returned. And soon, the entire world would know.

---

Got some good shit going on here :)

Some Valyrian translations for you all:

ñuha jorrāelagon - my love

Sōvegon - fly

Like I said, a lot of build-ups, but next chapter we have the beginning of something crazy and I'm so excited haha this was really just planning and more planning. I think my favorite part to write was the conversation between Arya and Dany because a) I DEMAND they be friends and b) I want to show that their friendship isn't just one way and that Daenerys actually cares about innocent people unlike what the damn show did, so I hope that was well done lol

As always, love it? Hate it? Want to slice my face off and put it in the hall of faces? (ouchie don't do that). Let me know in the reviews, as they always keep me writing and pushing out these chapters for you lovely readers, and they've been making my day so much, so thank you for consistently giving me ideas and praise and advice and everything else combined! You all are awesome! Don't forget to follow or favorite if you would like 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!