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)

54. Various: The Valyrian Army

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Thank you all so much for your reviews, as well as the new follows and favorites - all of you inspired me to keep writing and pushing out these chapters for ya'll. I'm sorry that this took a little longer than normal to go up - I've been dealing with a lot of personal stuff, as well as a new job opportunity, so the time I've had for writing this story has gone down dramatically because this story takes a lot of details and little things to keep going, and I want to make sure I give my 200% into it, so if I take a little longer to update, that is why. I still love you all and will finish this story, so thank you so much for your continued support! I hope you enjoy :)

P.S. if you can, stick around until the end with the author's note pleaseee

---

Daenerys

Fear.

That was the emotion she saw within the eyes of her army. The moment she saw Tormund looking haunted, she knew something was wrong. She had known Tormund for some time – based off on the time they had spent prior to her death, and the stories she had heard from Jon. He never got scared of practically anything.

But seeing him staring at them, with nothing but horror along his stance, made Daenerys realize that what they were dealing with was a lot more than she could have imagined. He said that some of their dragons were taken out, and she didn't think anything existed out there besides the scorpions that could do that. But now, he says there were ice creatures and…what, Skincrawlers? That's what they called them?

Oh, and the White Walkers were back, which was just fantastic.

She knew it was because of Bran. He wasn't that person she had met all those years ago. There was something else inside of him. If he was able to bring back all of that and add on more creatures to kill them, she didn't know what they would do. And now, she had her children ro worry about. Her new son. Add on her husband and the whole thing was a stress-inducing situation that she didn't know where to start or how to handle it.

But she couldn't let those emotions through. While her head was a bleeding mess of fear and worry, she kept her face neutral as she helped what did remain of their army into the castle passed the stunned faces of the Northern lords, while Jon helped some of them set up camp. She had noticed that while some of the dragons were dead, as Tormund had told them, the others were not here. She would remember to bring that up to him when they finally sat down and had a real conversation about what had happened.

Through the pass, however, as she was starting to let people into the castle, she noticed familiar faces, one of which was huddled under a blanket, trying to prevent himself from catching a cold. She walks over quietly as she tightens her own cloak around her shoulders, the breeze of the winter air flying past her shoulders.

"Tyrion?" she calls out gently to the imps stature. His name coming from her lips seemed to turn his head, and he glances up from where he stood with the blanket. Only now, one she showed the fire to his figure did she see exactly why he had a blanket covering him completely.

There was a gash all the way across his face, of claw marks, as if someone had purposefully clawed out his eye. It was still there but was covered by bandages that clearly needed to be changed. He manages a tired and exhausted grimace to her as she came forward. "I see everything is well here, my queen."

"Good gods," she mutters as she lets her hand rest against his bandaged head. "What happened out there? Were you attacked?"

"We all were," he states solemnly before glancing back at where she kneeled. "When they came…we didn't have anywhere to hide. Only to run. But while some of the men did try to fight, a couple of those…Skincrawlers came after the children, a lot of the wilding ones that needed help. I didn't want to see them get taken out so easily, so I tried to shield them. I knew it was death but I didn't want to them die just like that, just like…flies against a fan. One of them clawed at my face before Tormund was able to slice it's head off and got us out of there. The children were safe. Traumatized, but safe."

Daenerys nods gently as she straightens up the cloak around his shoulders. "Well…that's very noble of you."

"You don't have to say that, Daenerys," he says quietly. "I know you're only saying it to make me feel better."

"No, I mean it. Many other men would have run to save their own lives. You barely even have one and yet you were still willing to sacrifice it to save the children. I'm proud of you…it reminds me of who you were before you came to Meereen," she says softly.

She sees the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips before that vanishes into the cold air. "Thank you, your grace." His working eye glances at her stomach and he raises an eyebrow visible from his hair. "I see that the rumors are true. Kinvara told us that you had the child."

"I did," Daenerys said with a smile.

"She wouldn't tell us anything. Boy or girl?"

"A boy. We named him Robb."

"Ah, a Northern name. That's a change," Tyrion points out quietly.

"Yes, we did want to change it around a little. A lot has happened since we've come here…Sansa is locked up. The Northern lords know everything now. It'll only take a matter of them for them to come to their decision about who's side they want to be on, but considering you all have come out of nowhere, we might not have the time to wait."

Tyrion nods to her words, starting to move towards the castle. "You two do indeed work quickly, that is for sure. In other times, this type of work would have taken years for people to convince others."

"You just need to plan it out correctly," Daenerys responds before gesturing towards the castle. "Go inside. Get warm. I'm sure we'll hold a meeting or something in the morning so we can better discuss what we are going to do next. Rest. I think everyone here deserves it." Tyrion nods and moves forward. "Tyrion?" He turns his head to look at her. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're still alive."

The dwarf was quiet for a moment before he gives a soft nod to her. "I as well, your grace." With that, he turns back, heading towards the castle and leaving behind his tiny footsteps in the snow. Daenerys sighs as she looks back at her men steadily heading in, watching as Jon heaved up a tent for some of the injured wildlings.

She knew they were going to have some long conversations about this, but for now, she knew he was distracting himself by helping. That was what he liked to do – try and be there for others but not for himself. He had been doing it for so long. He had gotten better after some time but she had a feeling that tonight was going to be one of those nights.

"Ñuha dāria," she hears from behind her, and Daenerys turns her head to see Greyworm actually approaching, his helmet removed and kneeling on his knee. "I am sorry to have disappointed you. We have lost many men."

Daenerys shakes her head and helps the man stand before embracing him tightly. He returns the hug a moment later after the shock had worn off. "I am only happy to see you alive, my friend," she whispers before she pulls back, her hands resting against his shoulders. "Can anyone tell me or Jon exactly what happened?"

"Rhaemon suggested a private meeting," Greyworm says quietly. "Between the leaders of each of the factions of the army…everyone saw something different. It was…a pryjatys."

Daenerys sighs and bites her lip, looking over at her husband, who was currently speaking to one of the wildlings. "Give me some time. I'll get him ready to go in a little bit…go and rest yourself. You deserve it. We'll meet in a little bit."

Greyworm nods his head and then speaks to his officers behind him, many of which began to move some of their men to the castle. Daenerys watches him go and feels her eyes glance to the Dothraki, most of them speaking to each other, some pointing at the Northern lords that were still staring in shock. She could feel her heart drop looking at them. These men that they had moved away to support their cause. The people they had saved. The ones that willingly came with them…all taken down by that man in a castle in the south.

She didn't even know where Yara was. None of them knew. Maybe if she asked Rhaemon, he might have better insight, but the very idea of her just disappearing off into nowhere scared her. Daenerys had known from the moment she saw the wights years ago that they were a threat. A big threat. Jon hadn't been lying when he told her that all those years ago. But now with the addition of something new, and a return of something old…she didn't even want to think of how long it might take them to get here.

Quietly, she pushes away those thoughts and trudges her way through the snow, aiming to get to her husband. When her hand rests against his shoulder, he turns his head from where he was helping someone set up a sort of tent to last them for a while.

"We need to speak with the generals," she says softly.

Jon sighs and glances at the ground. "That can't wait until morning? There are thousands here who-"

"Jon, they are more than capable of taking care of themselves for the time being," she says honestly. "They made it here somehow. I'm sure they can pitch a tent. You don't need to help everyone." She looks to the woman he was trying to aid. "Are you capable of doing this? We need to talk with the others about what happened."

"Of course. We're completely fine," the woman says softly. "Only happy to be alive."

Daenerys could see the shift in Jon's face the moment she said that. She could understand why they would feel happy to be alive. Daenerys would be in the same boat.

"Thank you for your bravery," she says softly before helping her husband stand. "We will make sure all of you have an excellent meal in the morning by any means."

"Does that mean cookies too?" a little girl asks from the woman's side. She reminded her of Nesara.

Daenerys feels herself smile and nod. "Any cookie you would want." The little girl smiles and nods before running back behind her mother's legs, clearly shy. Daenerys nods to the young woman before heading back towards the castle with Jon at her side. When they had gotten away from prying ears, she leans up to him quietly. "Did you really think we could wait until morning to address what had happened? Because I don't think I could."

Jon lets out a quiet sigh before shaking his head. "No. No, I didn't. I guess I just didn't want to face the reality of it. But we have to." He looks ahead as they approach, seeing their children start to help some of the younger members of the army into the castle to keep warm. "Dan, Daemon." The twins glance up from where they stood. "I need you to do something for me. Go and find Kinvara in the crowd. We're going to need her for a meeting we are holding to discuss what happened. She always seems to move towards you so please, if you could."

The twins nod and head off towards where everyone was setting up camp. Daenerys turns her gaze to where Mae and Zaevar were helping a young girl bandage something on her arm that looked like a bite mark. Probably from one of those creatures.

"Where is her mother?" Daenerys asks gently.

"She hasn't spoken since we found her," Mae responds, looking up. "I just knew the bandage had to be changed because it looked really bad."

"I think her mother might be gone," Zaevar adds on quietly.

Her heart constricts again as she looks at this little girl. She was another one of the wildling children, their lives completely disrupted because of what happened. "We need to make a plan for them," she mutters to Jon quietly before leaning down to the little girl's height. She barely manages to look at Daenerys. "Hello, sweetling. Can you tell me your name?" she asks softly.

She was quiet for a moment before she slowly spoke. "Miha," the girl mumbles.

"Miha…that's a beautiful name," Daenerys says, smiling gently at the little girl. "Have you been all alone?" She nods a few seconds later. "How about my two children here bring you inside and you can eat with my daughter, Nesy, over here?" She gestures to Nesara, who smiled and waved at the girl from where she stood behind Mae. "I think it would be quite better than being out in the cold, don't you?"

The little girl nods a second later, and Nesara takes her hand, a playful grin on her cheeks. "Come in! They have the best lemon cakes here."

Before Daenerys could even say another word, the two girls were heading in. She feels herself sigh as she stood next to Jon once more. "So many children are going to lose their families because of this, aren't they?" she asks him softly.

"No, they won't," he promises, his voice firm. "We'll come up with a plan. There's always a plan."

The plan they had before was completely ruined now due to the appearance of these creatures. Who's to say it wouldn't be the same situation now? But of course, she didn't say that, for her husband's own sake. So she just squeezes his hand and holds it close. "Have you two seen any of the dragons?" she asks her children.

They shake their head. "I think they might be trying to find someplace warmer than here," Zaevar says quietly. "They don't do well in colder climates. Isn't that why the Targaryen's rarely came North?"

"That and other things," Daenerys mutters, thinking back to how she despised the cold herself. She wasn't the largest fan of it either. She could understand where the dragons were coming from. "You've been brushing up on the Targaryen history, huh?"

Zaevar shrugs and nods towards the group of men clamoring to get warm, where Dan and Daemon had run off to. "Dan's been teaching me when I'm bored."

"More like when you want to be near her," Mae mutters. Zaevar elbows her in the side, causing Mae to laugh and shake her head. Daenerys raises an eyebrow but does not say anything. She didn't want to insert herself into the lives of her children tonight, not right now. For the first time in a while, they genuinely had bigger things at hand.

At that moment, however, two figures emerge from the crowd, followed by a red priestess with a hood over her head. Daenerys feels herself let out a sigh of relief as she steps forward and hugs her friend tightly, feeling her arms wrap back around her just as tight. "Kinvara," she breathes a moment later, smiling before seeing the worried look in her eyes. "Please…tell me everything that has happened."

"Oh, my queen," she mutters, shaking her head a moment later. "Everything has happened. Everything and nothing. We are all just people following along the edge of the world now. The Long Night is coming."

Daenerys' brow furrows. She knew Kinvara wasn't one to talk like that without an actual serious inquiry if the world was going to change. And because she was bringing it up now, Daenerys was not happy to hear it. She looks worriedly over at Jon, who seemed to be hiding his own fears and replaced them with orders, commanding some of the men to head inside for their meeting.

She could only hope that somehow, this wouldn't end in bloodshed.

---

The direwolves seemed to be very confused when hundreds of men and leaders started to pile into the meeting chamber but decided to just stay by Dan's side while she sat at the head table next to her brother and siblings. The monarchs, however, were watching with careful eyes as each person took a seat.

Daenerys had to think of who to ask first regarding everything that had happened. Rhaemon and Greyworm would most likely have the most information because they lead the armies. However, Tormund was one of the wildlings and knew every single little detail about the North. They could have seen something weeks prior before this happened but hadn't done anything about it. Kinvara, however, was the one that was bugging her the most.

She knew that they had to discuss her at some point. What she had said. What she thinks might be coming, because everything she had said so far in Dany's life had proven to be true. She wasn't about to disregard her because of the other men standing here.

She had also noticed that many of the Northern lords had made their way in here, surprising to her and to Jon. She had assumed that many of them would instead stay outside and try to figure out what happened themselves, but because of the severity of the situation, it seemed they wanted to be included in the conversation. Go figure.

Wyman Manderly sat at the helm with Howland Reed, Meera's father. The girl herself was sitting next to them, clearly concerned listening to a recap a wildling woman was telling her about. Cley Cerwyn sat with Robett Glover, and multiple other lords sat behind them, chatting to each other. While Daenerys was glad to see them conversing and not yelling at each other as they did earlier in the day when they had exposed Sansa, she still kept a watchful eye on them. Even if they did bend the knee, she didn't want to just let them out of her sight so easily. And she knew Jon was the same as well.

After a moment, when everyone had arrived in and sat at their tables with their respective followers or leaders, Jon spoke up loud and clear for them to hear, and Daenerys sat down easily against the table, making sure to look at her children once to make sure they were alright with what this conversation was going to be about. She had sent Nesara up to bed after feeding the little girl to be with Robb, but other than that, Dan, Daemon, Mae, and Zaevar sat up there with them, ready to listen and put in input as much as the children could. Daenerys knew that Nesara always wanted to help, but with this situation, it was better to explain to her afterward than have her exposed to so much so quickly.

"You have come to us at an unfortunate time," Jon starts out calmly. "We did not think something like this would happen. I can understand why all of you are afraid and want to speak your minds about what happened. But please. If we can do this in a calm matter, I'm sure we can figure out what to do best moving forward. So we are going to speak to each of the leaders of our factions one by one. Please – no one interrupts until we have moved onto the next. Would anyone like to speak first?"

Hands instantly fly up. Daenerys almost feels her head drop. This was going to be a long meeting. "Tormund," she starts, deciding he was the best person to begin with. "How about you speak? What happened with the wildings? Where did all of this start?"

The supposed wilding leader looks between his men and most of them nod for him to take the lead, pushing him forward. "It started out…we think some months ago. We started to see signs of the White Walkers again but some just sort of…put it off to the imagination. We thought that they might have been spooked by old stories or something like that…but when more and more sightings started to come in…we knew that somethin' was wrong. Everything happened so quickly…they attacked the freefolk first while we were huntin', and when I say that popped outta the snow like they were flowers, I mean it. It was like they were in there stayin' for months and months…maybe even years. And then those…flesh creatures started comin' through. We ran back when they started to run…they took out so many of our tribe before we got back."

Daenerys feels her shoulders drop as she turns to look at the men, one by one. The next one she laid her eyes on was Taevar, who had been writing down what the wilding was saying.

"When this happened, where were you and the others, Taevar?" she asks calmly.

"We were at the camp," Taevar answers, lowering his quill. "I was planning the best route for us to use with Tyrion when we heard the wildings scream. It took us only a minute for us to realize what was chasing us…and then more and more creatures started to come. Not just those Skincrawlers but the…it was almost like mutations of those snow things."

"Like ice dragons?" Jon answers quietly. Daenerys feared the answer.

"Yes…like that. Like what you saw when you were attacked by the Free City ships. But so many…it was like they appeared out of nowhere. And they destroyed some of our younger dragons…torn some of them to shreds."

Her heart sinks as she turns to look at Rhaemon, who seemed to be hanging his head in shame. "Who was lost in our army?"

"Well, as he said, many of the dragons," Rhaemon says quietly. "We still have enough to last us a while, but a lot of the newer ones were…completely burned to a crisp by this sort of fire they had. It was almost like nothing was immune to it." He sniffles, and Daenerys swore this was the first time she had ever seen her general in chief cry. "Magar and Laemon…they died in the battle."

The head of their guard. The two knights that had served them without question the moment they had taken over Valyria. Gone like that because of that fucking man down south. She could almost feel the rage envelope her.

"Most of our men were able to fight off many of the wights, but once the other creatures started to come forward, we realized we were falling too short. The ice dragons and the other monsters that had taken over were far too many and were increasing rapidly in size. If we hadn't retreated…we would have lost many more. Most of the men of our army are alright, the ones who stay on land."

Jon turns his gaze to some of the dragonlords, who had been quiet. She had assumed these were the lords that had lost their bonds. "Are you doing alright?" he asks a young man, who seemed to be shaking.

"I'm…alive." Those were his first words. "But there's nothing that can bring my dragon back, or our dragons….they were just taken, like that. This threat…it's so much more than any of us predicted."

Daenerys swallows quietly, trying hard not to show her fear through her exterior. She turns to Greyworm, standing diligently in the corner with his men. "Greyworm, we could see there was a slight decrease in the Unsullied forces. As well as the Dothraki forces," she adds on gently, turning to where some of her most trusted Khals stood. "Were you on the front lines trying to protect the others?"

"The Unsullied were, yes," Greyworm confirms after a moment, glancing over at the Dothraki. "The moment we could see danger, we interfered for the sake of the innocents there. The Dothraki held the behind as some of the creatures tried to take us from the other side."

"A clear battle tactic," Jon mutters.

"Exactly," Greyworm responds. "They lost some of their men in the battle…the Skincrawlers don't die from the regular wounds we can inflict on them." Daenerys raises an eyebrow at this, to which Greyworm only continues to nod. "From what we saw, and what we used on them, dragon glass, Valyrian steel, nor fire…works against them. We do not know their weakness. It's why we had to flee on the backs of our dragons. They would have killed us all. We were only able to kill the wights that came at us."

Great. Now they had another indestructible monster that was haunting their every move. That was wonderful. Truly what she needed today.

"Does anyone know of Yara Greyjoy's location?" she asks quietly after a moment, trying to process what they were saying. "They told me you had lost her, but did anyone see her physically?"

"The last time I saw her, she was heading onto the ships," a young wildling girl spoke. "That was before the ice dragons came and blew them up…we don't know if she's alive or not. We didn't see her leaving and we didn't have the time to look for her."

Fuck.

Daenerys exchanges a worried glance with Jon, one so small that she knew only he could understand, but he instead turns back to the crowd, trying to at least keep the conversation rolling for as long as they would before exhaustion had kicked in.

"What about the dragons?" he continues. "You say you still have dragons but I have yet to see any of them."

"We left them around twenty miles ago," Rhaemon confirms a moment later. "We assumed that it might be…too much for the lords of the North to handle."

Daenerys hears Wyman scoff from where he sat. She raises an eyebrow. "Is my chief wrong, Lord Manderly?" she asks calmly.

Wyman looks to her and then sighs. "I mean, it would be much but…we're already seen two dragons. More than that. What is more than a couple more?"

She hears her husband chuckle from where he stood. "Our dragons aren't just a couple more, Lord Manderly, but I can assume that…many of them are gone now?" he asks Rhaemon.

"Not some of our strongest," Rhaemon confirms lightly. "Only the youngest have died."

Daenerys let out a stiff breath before leaning forward, biting her lip as she stood up. "I'm wondering…we left Ser Davos in charge of bringing his family to Valyria when we left, and we assumed he would join you at some point…has he shown himself at all?"

There was silence along the leaders, some looking to each other for anything but no one spoke. Eventually, Greyworm was the one to break the silence. "We received a letter from him some time ago that said that his family was transported there safely and everything went as planned, but he should have been here by now. We are…a bit concerned."

Jon walks forward as Greyworm hands him a letter, reading it quietly. "It seems like a normal letter." He hands it to Dan, who nods. "She'll analyze it tonight to make sure it was actually him that wrote it. If something did happen to him, we could send men out there to find him."

Daenerys sighs as she looks at him. "I hate to say this, but I don't know how smart that is going to be."

His brow raises in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"If what they say is true, and that these monsters are coming towards Winterfell…I don't know how long we can stay here. We're putting everyone else here at risk and if those creatures get here, where we don't even know how to properly kill them…we need to make sure we put as much distance between us as possible before we make any decisions or war plans…or how we're going to kill them. Don't you remember the last time when you didn't know what properly killed something? Hardhome?"

He had told her multiple times about his outings as Lord Commander, and that had always been one that stood out to her, how many people had died, how if it wasn't for his Valyrian sword, he would be killed as well. They needed to figure out how to deal with this properly, and once they did, maybe they could face this enemy.

But right now, it was more than that.

She sees Jon's face shift once she mentions that fateful day but he nods, turning his gaze back to the men in the room. "My wife has a point. If you say they move as quickly as they do, we do need to make sure we leave as soon as possible – the earliest being tomorrow. We want to put as much distance between us and the Others as we can. If we can at least do that, we might be able to gather more men to make up the rest of our army."

"What are the others we are trying to bring in again?" Taevar asks quietly.

"The ones that are already rebelling against the crown are the Stormlands – led by Gendry, the Iron Islands, but however since we don't know where Yara is…we might not be able to have their support until she returns. Are her men with us?" After a short nod from Rhaemon, he continues. "There's also The Reach, which we need to get to at some point and meet with their men, as well as Dorne. In regards to the lands, we might convince to fight with us, there's the Westerlands, The Vale, The Crownlands and a couple of other smaller areas...I was hoping we could send out letters from here but if this is coming as quick as you say…we need to meet with everyone. Soon."

Daenerys' brow furrows. "Where would we meet that thousands of men from these armies would combine? We'd have to find somewhere Bran would not expect."

A small hand rises from the front. "May I put out a suggestion?" came Tyrion's voice.

Daenerys and Jon turn to him. A couple of the other leaders within the room do as well. "What do you have in mind, Tyrion?"

"It is…something I should have told you. A long time ago. I will understand if you are angry once you hear this information, but believe me when I say that I kept this to myself to protect what I have left."

Jon instantly crosses his arms against his chest. "Tyrion, what is this?"

The dwarf seems to swallow, glances at the ground, and then looks right back at Dany this time. "Jaime Lannister is alive at Casterly Rock."

There was a collected gasp of surprise that went across the room. Jon looked at him in shock while Daenerys stood up, clearly confused and yet the smallest amount of anger did develop. Honestly, at this point, she can understand keeping certain information from people for the sake of their family, but this was something…she was not expecting.

"I thought Jaime Lannister was killed by the castle bricks of the Red Keep when it collapsed?" Daenerys asks, keeping her voice even. "He's been alive this whole time?"

"Yeah, I thought he was dead as well," Jon mutters. "That's what I was told."

"I found them…the both of them, my sister and my brother," he starts out solemnly. "And at first I thought they were dead. There was no movement, nothing that showed they were breathing. I didn't know what to do. But before I came back up to see you, he gasped for air. It seemed that the movement had stirred something and woke him up. She was gone…and for a moment, he didn't want to leave unless it was with her, but I warned him that if he didn't go, you would do…far worse to him. I sent him off before he could be found and said that the body was destroyed in the remains, mangled to pieces…I found body parts to resemble his own. Not my finest moment."

"You little liar!" Greyworm snaps from his seat. "You've always been treacherous to our queen, even now!"

"Hold on, Greyworm," Daenerys commands, standing up. "No one is to speak to Tyrion but I." That seemed to silence the man, and he quietly glances away, still with an angry look on his face. She turns back to Tyrion. "Now…while in another life I would be amazingly angry at this, I've come to realize that people do things in order to protect the ones that they love. While Jaime Lannister did commit treason by returning back to Cersei, and you did for letting him live and letting him go, there are too many things right now for us to be dealing with than petty politics. This isn't about who sits on that throne in King's Landing – it's about killing the person who is on it. And if Jaime is alive, and he can help us, then we will have no choice."

She could see a bit of a breath of relief escape the dwarf.

"Don't be so relaxed yet," she warns, causing him to look back at her. "I'm still angry at you. I'm sure Jon is as well. That's a big secret that you've kept. But it's better that you told us now rather than never. Now…why are you suggesting Casterly Rock? Is your brother there?"

"Well, I told him to run," Tyrion admits quietly. "Not to go home at first because I knew people would look to take over, but for a while, the last couple of years or so, he has been there in hiding. No ladies or lords or anyone else to take care of him. To the rest of the world, it looks abandoned."

"Look, this sounds nice and all," Jon interrupts, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But we're forgetting a big part of this. Bran can fucking see everything. How do we know that he doesn't know that Jaime is alive and at Casterly Rock? He knew we were here-"

"Only because Sansa had been constantly communicating with him," Tyrion states. "Bran couldn't track down our movements in the boat, nor while you were on the road. He was only able to pinpoint his sorcery when she told him where you were because Kinvara and the red priests have put some sort of charm on you. I've only received one letter from my brother a year, and each time I've gone out far into the woods on some mission to him, maybe to gain allies, that way he never sees the letter. I burn them right after…he might know that Jaime is alive and might not care enough to do anything. He's been broken for so long and isn't a threat to the throne…but because you have that charm on us as well as the army, I believe he won't be able to track us to that location."

"But what about Casterly Rock?" Jon asks him. "Why is it the best place to go?"

"It's right in the middle of Westeros near the Sunset Sea. We are trying to gain supporters from all over – that would be the best meeting spot for every single person to go distance-wise, that way people from the North can travel South as well to avoid the threat, and the people from the deep South can come up to meet us there. Casterly is completely abandoned, and there's plenty of room around the area for an army. It's the best spot for us to go, as of right now."

Jon looks over at Daenerys, who was thinking through the dwarf's words. He was right. Strategically and logically, going to Casterly Rock was their best option, especially considering King's Landing was right across the way and they could easily move there, but at the same time…something was concerning her.

"Tyrion, how are we sure that your brother won't try anything on Jon and me?" she asks him quietly. "You said he was a changed man last time and then he betrayed us and went back to his sister. What's to say it isn't the same this time?"

There was silence from the dwarf for a moment, before he gently sighs and looks to her again. "My brother is broken…yes, he has been through many things and he is a changed man, but he was someone who was corrupted by love. You two, of all people, should know that. He…he even told me he originally left Winterfell to end Cersei, but when he saw her…he couldn't do it. He just couldn't. And now, with her gone…he'd told me in his letters that he's tried to kill himself so many times, but he just doesn't have the ability to do it…he isn't a threat to you. Not anymore."

Daenerys could see Jon's face change at the man's story. He couldn't sit there and not say that he hadn't done some of the same things – only Jon had gone through with what happened. People did do strange or terrible things for the people they loved.

She glances at the ground and then over at her advisors, some of the people she truly trusted the most in this world. "Rhaemon, Greyworm, Taevar…do you think we should go there? One at a time, please."

Rhaemon steps forward first. "I do not know the land very well here as much as Tyrion does, and while you have been away, he has proven his worth in the camp. He's been immensely helpful with plans of where to go. I believe he can be trusted, and for the sake of what is left of our army, it's imperative we find somewhere safe."

Daenerys nods and looks to Taevar, who steps forward. "Rhaemon is right. Tyrion has been extremely useful. I can understand why he would keep something like that a secret but truthfully, the elder Lannister is just one man. His armies are not there, nor is his family. It would be a good position for our troops to take hold."

She finally turns to Greyworm, whom she knew would be the most adamant about not believe Tyrion, but after a moment, the Unsullied soldier lets out a sigh and looks at her. "While I have never trusted the imp since we have been here, they are both right. Casterly Rock is the best place for us to go from my studies of this region…we are going to be safe there, and have the people come to us. I'll do whatever you and Jon command."

She was genuinely surprised to hear that from him but acknowledged it all the same with another nod before turning to look at Jon. "And you, my husband?"

He was quiet for a moment, looking at Tyrion, perplexity in his gaze, searching for the right answer.

"In regards to the secret…that wasn't good on your part, Tyrion." The dwarf hangs his head but doesn't say anything. "However…these three men I have trusted in the past and present, as well as the future, with my life and my family's lives. If they all say that you have been nothing but helpful, and have been trying to prove yourself, then this might be the right answer. We all know what happened the last time we stayed in Winterfell here…and lost far too many people to count. If we travel tomorrow to Casterly Rock, we might have a chance of living."

"Your grace?" Daenerys hears from the crowd, and both she and her husband turn their heads to see Robett Glover raising his hand. "Permission to speak?"

Jon exchanges a quick glance at Daenerys – he was surprised just as well as her that a Northern lord was asking – but he nods, turning to him. "Speak your mind."

"These…creatures that you say your army has seen…and that they are like the White Walkers from before…I thought Arya Stark killed the Night King and ended all of that? Why are they here?"

"Because the Night King isn't dead."

This time, it came from Kinvara's voice, finally making it known to the area around them. She had stepped forward, a worried look in her gaze, turning from general to general before looking at Jon and Daenerys. She had her hands folded, her hood down. Only now did Daenerys see that she had a cut mark along her forehead – most likely from fighting whatever creatures they had faced in the far North.

"I have been having visions for months now of this…so much so that ages ago, I warned the king and queen that something like this could be happening with Bran. They had been having dreams, instances of flashbacks. They originally came here to kill Bran because he was waging war on the Valyrian's, as well as sending this country back to the sea…but after this attack, I fear that we were right. Bran isn't who he says anymore. Bran is the Great Other's chosen one."

"But…I stabbed the Night King," Arya states, her voice clearly laced with confusion. "He fell to pieces, into a million little shards. How could he…be still alive?"

"The Great Other works in many ways," Kinvara responds gravely, looking at her. "The Night King and Bran already had that connection years ago when he touched him in a vision. All he had to do was hold onto him again, and then he would have access to the whole world's knowledge. When Arya arrived to kill the Night King, it was too late. No one had seen, but the Night King had already latched his arm around the boy's limb. Him shattering into pieces, as well as his White Walkers, only diminished their physical form…but the Night King's essence transferred into Bran. With those powers, as well as the ones he already possessed…he is the Great Champion…the last one that the Great Other has sent onto this world to kill us all and enter into a new age of darkness."

There were looks of horror and dismay across the faces of the lords. Daenerys could feel her heart beating quickly. She always had a feeling this was what was going to happen, but hearing Kinvara say it for real made it so much clearer and scarier to face. "How do you know this is for sure?" she asks, just as a direction. "Did you see him? Or anything related to him being the Night King?"

Kinvara sighs. "Well, a large indicator is that the White Walkers were brought back. The only way that can happen is if the essence of the Night King is alive as well. And when we were fighting them, we didn't see the Night King – only his followers. Which means it is Bran in King's Landing, controlling them. I've also…seen it, within the flames. Bran has this…map, of all of Westeros in one of his rooms, and he holds his hands over the North, his eyes glowing crystal blue…there is something controlling him. Whether Bran is truly in there anymore, I do not know…but I know that it is not your brother, nor is he a Stark anymore. This war…isn't just for a throne anymore. This is the true war for the dawn."

There was silence within the room. You could hear a pin drop if you tried hard enough. It was only when Wyman Manderly raised his hand again that Jon nodded to him to speak. "If…if we defect to you…" That seemed to get everyone's attention, even Jon's, who stood up straighter. "Would we be taken from here before the dead came?"

"Wyman!" Howland Reed whispers fiercely.

"Do you want to die?!" Manderly asks the man angrily, snapping at him. The sudden change surprised Dany. "These people have faced them before – they at the very least might give us a chance of survival. And if these creatures and ice dragons killed their dragons, then what chance do we have?"

"But they're…they're-"

"I don't give a shit if they are Targaryen's or not," Manderly grunts. "They have a point. Their nation is running well over the sea. Ours is not. We just found out our former queen would gladly kill children to gain political advancements, so we truly don't know who is on our side anymore." He looks over at Jon, his brow set, his eyes directed at the two of them. "But if we did…would we be leaving with you?"

Jon exchanges another look with Daenerys, who sighs slightly. "We would need to stop at your thresholds to collect your men to follow with us, but we wouldn't be able to stay for long. The whole point of us leaving tomorrow is to put as much distance as we can between them and ourselves."

That answer seemed to suit the man, and he nodded, taking a seat back down. Some of the lords seemed to glare at him, but he didn't look like he cared.

Jon sighs and glances at the ground. "That's settled then." He looks to the men in the room. "For the ones who are in our army, we will leave at dawn in a couple of hours. I suggest to the Northern lords that you make your decision by then. For now…get your men together, get some rest for a little bit, have a drink…and we will be on our way. Dismissed."

Everyone began to descend and leave. Daenerys watched as Taevar, Rhaemon, and Greyworm all talked efferently together as they left with their men. Kinvara had gone out the door as well, talking closely with Eleana. She was glad that everyone seemed to still be getting alone, but a part of Daenerys was scared that it would end up falling apart the moment stress came on them. She would have to wait and see.

"Mother?" She turns her gaze to look at Daemon. "If we are going to be leaving soon…what are we going to do with Sansa?"

She curses inwardly. "I honestly forgot about her," she mutters to Jon. Before he could speak, Arya stands.

"I'll go and talk to her, get her chained up. We can take her as our prisoner…power move for Bran, even if it's not really him anymore," she says quietly, looking at the two. "The rest of you, get ready. Gendry." She turns to look at him. "Make sure the men have as many weapons as they can get. We're going to need them."

He nods and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off. "Are you sure you want to talk to her alone?" Jon asks once Gendry was gone. Arya nods her head.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. She can't convince me of anything after all that we've been through." Daenerys nods and squeezes her hand as Jon nudges her off. Dany watches until she had disappeared around the corner before letting out a deep sigh, and turning back to the children.

"The rest of you," she begins softly. "Gather your things. Make sure that the others are ready to go, and get Nesara ready as well. And one of you, please get Robb and wake him up gently…we need to make sure that he is going to be warm for the journey."

"I've found some old swaddles in some closets here," Mae states. "Would that work?"

"Anything with fur, yes. Your father and I have to speak about what comes next. We will see you all in a little bit." The four eldest children nod and take off, leaving the two of them alone. It was silent, both of them still processing what they had just been told. After a moment, Daenerys reached over and grabs Jon's hand. "We have to speak to Kinvara."

Jon turns to her. "About what? She's already told us-"

"Jon." Her voice was short, trying not to fill with the fear that she felt enveloping her body. "You know what I am referring to."

And, after a moment, he sighs and nods. "I do." He glances at the door and then pulls her up gently to his side. "Come on…let's go."

---

Arya

The courtyard was a frenzy.

She knew that the moment she stepped out into there that it would be – they were facing another immeasurable threat and no one knew how to stop it, so it was only a matter of time before people started to freak out and wonder what they were going to do next. Arya was keeping her nerves on the downlow and keeping them within her mind, but at the same time, she was on the same level as them.

She kept questioning what she had done that night, when she had stabbed the Night King, how he had fallen apart so easily, leaving them alive. She had questioned it then but came to accept it. Dan had questioned it before but she had dismissed it. And now, here they were in the same boat, twice, trying to somehow survive the impending doom that this creature was bringing into their lives.

She didn't even feel bad for herself. Honestly, Arya had lived the life she had wanted to do for so long now, that she could die happy. She had traveled the world, met amazing people, loved someone to her heart's content…everything she had wished for had come true, but at the same time, she was worried for her brother. And she was worried about Daenerys.

Those two had been through quite literally the seven hells and back, on dragons and beasts and through the flames, somehow still standing and fighting more than ever. This was the one thing that had torn them apart years ago, the beginning of the end. And while their bond was different now, and everything had changed, she was also wondering if now it was a different beginning of the end. The official end for all of them.

And they had worked so hard to build what they had, a kingdom where everyone was welcome, a family that was beautiful and fierce, a love that no one could challenge. It was something most couples and people had dreamed about. And for it all to be taken away like this? That would be the true tragedy of this all. The world they had built. Gone in an instant.

She wondered if one day, they wouldn't have to worry about something coming to kill them. Maybe one day, she could imagine what Sansa used to imagine. Sitting in a castle without a single worry, brushing her hair, and remaining hopelessly ignorant to the world around her because there was no need to pay attention. Everything was peaceful.

Yeah. She didn't believe that vision either.

Well, the Targaryen's kept her life exciting, that was for sure. She didn't know where she would be if she hadn't stumbled into Bran's castle that one day and he hired her to go kill Daenerys. God, how had she not seen it then? The switch in his eyes. The change in his demeanor…Arya had always prided herself on being an excellent judge of character for years, and yet she was so blinded by her past that she had never seen through his true character. She had fallen for his plots – just as everyone else had. It was a mess. A raging mess.

But she was thankful all the same. It was strange, the things she had learned to be thankful for in her life. She never thought she would be alright with the first encounter that she had with Daenerys, but thinking about it now, she had a feeling that no matter how she had met her again, it would have gone something like that. Arya – like the rest of Westeros – had been blinded to what had truly happened. All it took was for her to try and see again.

As she turned the corner into the dungeons where Sansa was kept, she nearly ran into a wildling girl trying to get her items on a horse, and Arya stopped to help her raise them up, offering her a kind smile. As she turned to leave, her eyes were directed to the chains that sat on the wall. Quietly, she lifted them up off the hook, as well as the chain, before walking over to where Sansa's cell sat.

Arya stands in front of it for a moment, looking at the shadow of her sister. She was leaning up against the wall, her head on the stone, seemingly unconscious. For a moment, she didn't want to wake her from her precious slumber just for the sake of what she had gone through today, but Arya wasn't going to give in to that side of her, not now when they had no choice but to leave.

She bangs on the edge of the door with the chains, causing a loud echo to stir the girl. She jumps at the sound and instantly backs away, looking around in terror before her eyes land on her sister. Her guard drops for a moment but does not go away. "What are you doing here?" she asks, her voice wary. "Jon said I could sleep while he figured out what to do with me."

"We've had a change in plans," Arya states quietly. "Everyone here is going to be moving to Casterly Rock. Including you."

Sansa's eyes widen as she suddenly stands, staring at Arya incredulously. "What? Why are you abandoning our home? It's-"

"First of all, this isn't our home. It's your home. Winterfell hasn't been my home for years and you made sure of that." Sansa doesn't respond to the comment, but Arya could see the pain in the girl's eyes the moment she said that. "Secondly, the White Walkers have returned. Our armies have come back smaller, with some of our dragons wiped out, and many men and women dead. We need to move south as quickly as possible so we even have a chance of surviving."

She goes to unlock the door, but she sees Sansa's arms cross against her chest, taking a step back. "So turns out something can defeat the legendary Targaryen army, huh?" she asks snidely.

Arya bangs on the cell door in anger, causing Sansa to gasp and step back in shock.

"Do you not know what the fuck is going on?!" Arya snaps at her, her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. "Can you not get it through your thick skull that if our dragons can be fucking killed, you'd be a snack for what is coming?! Or can you not think of anyone but yourself for one gods damn moment?!"

That seems to get the older Stark girl to shut her mouth. Arya couldn't stop the words that came tumbling out of her mouth.

"Bran isn't even Bran anymore – he's a fucking horrible monster that's taken over him, and now he's bringing back his army as well as other horrible creatures to kill all of us! And all you can think about is how our armies are depleted? All you can even process through your head is politics?!"

Arya shakes her head, stepping back, glaring at her older sister.

"For years, I stood by you. I stood by each decision you made because I thought that it was the best outcome for your people as well as the ones below us. I believed every word you said…and to find out what you did, not only to your family but a woman who wanted nothing more than to help the North…it sickens me. And what makes it worse is that Daenerys was with her twins at the time…and you went along again with Bran's idea to kill her and the baby again…I'm starting to wonder who the real monster is. Bran isn't himself, so I'd expect this of him…but what's your excuse?"

There was no response from the redhead. Arya shakes her head and then pushes her out, sending her onto the ground in a tumble. Sansa lets out a sharp cry of pain as her hand hit a spare piece of shrapnel on the ground, but Arya doesn't seem to care. She pulls back both her arms, one bloody and the other not, chaining them behind her back. "Where are you taking me?" she asks, fear in her voice.

"Calm your tits. I'm not going to execute you. That will most likely be Jon's job," she mutters as she makes her sister stand again. Sansa stills at those words. "But believe it or not, the Targaryens have the mercy within them not to have you eaten to death by these creatures coming towards us. You're coming with us as our prisoner."

She doesn't say anything as she walks her towards the courtyard. Most people were too busy to even notice their former queen getting taken away.

"Why Casterly Rock?" Sansa finally asks, her voice almost as quiet as a whisper.

Arya sighs. "Apparently, Jaime Lannister is alive." Sansa looks at her in surprise and Arya shrugs. "The imp keeps secrets, what can I say? He wanted to make sure his brother was safe. That's usually what family does for family…they don't conspire behind each other's backs."

She couldn't help the venom that had escaped her lips the moment she said those words. Everything her sister had done seemed to just boil over these last twenty-four hours and it had all come to a head. A part of her found it hard to even look at Sansa, in her dress she had worn this morning to arrive back at Winterfell, cuts along her neck and skin from where Arya had held a knife, her hair a mess. She was a shell of the woman she used to know.

As she comes to the front of the castle, she chains Sansa up to one of the training sticks along the edge, making sure that it was tight enough where she wouldn't try and escape. Before Arya could leave, however, her sister's voice called out to her. "Wait." Arya turns her head and sees Sansa staring at the ground. "I'm sorry, Arya. I'm sorry for hurting you."

Arya raises an eyebrow before snorting. "Well, first off, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. I'm not the one you betrayed initially. And even so, I don't think they would accept your apology." She sees a tear slip from her sisters usually stone-cold eyes. "Secondly, nothing you can say can make me unchain you. This isn't a Tyrion-Jaime situation." She leans close to her. "At least with Tyrion and Jaime, I can say that Jaime stood up for the imp for all those years, despite him being the bad stain of the family. He acted like how a brother should. What about you? All those years you would tease me constantly for wanting to become a soldier, just like my brothers, saying I would never be anything if I wasn't a lady? Look where we are now, sister…with you in chains, and me as one of their head guards. It's funny, how life works out that way."

She turns away again, this time intending on leaving, but one question stops her in her tracks. "Why?" Arya turns her gaze back to Sansa. She now had tears streaming down her cheeks. For a moment, Arya felt the tiniest bit of guilt in her heart for the words she said, but she pushed those feelings down quickly. "Why them? Why her?"

Arya doesn't say anything in that instance, thinking of the right words to speak. And when she does, they roll off of her tongue, as if she had practiced them all along to say to her sister.

"Because Sansa…the Targaryens have been more of a family in my life these last couple of years than you ever were to me when I was with you. Even when I came back from Braavos, with my new skills and my abilities, you looked at me as if I was a monster…an imposter. But that has always been me. I have never been a lady. I will never be this version of me that you think of because that has never been me. And they not only accepted that but embraced it. Jon took me into his family even though I nearly destroyed it. They gave me a true second chance and I saw what a real family and a real kingdom can be like. Gendry gave me back hope for love because I didn't think I would find someone who would accept me, but he did. And he stays by my side, as I do him. They've shown me kindness, tenderness, and what ruling is supposed to be, unlike everything I have seen here."

She turns back around, but one more sentence decides to make its way through. Arya makes sure to look at Sansa when she says it.

"Besides…in the time I've been with Daenerys, ever since I tried to kill her, she's been a better sister to me than you ever were. And she's not even blood."

That had seemed to end her tirade, and as Arya turned her body to head back into the castle, hearing her sister silently sob behind her, only one thought enters her mind.

'Good. She should be sobbing.'

---

Daenerys

He hadn't stopped pacing since they entered into a spare chamber. The wait for Kinvara was torturous. But when she did arrive, that seemed to be Jon's cue to finally sit down and acknowledge what was going on.

"You called for me," Kinvara states gently as she sits across from the couple.

"Yes, we did," Daenerys says quietly, looking to Jon. He was quiet. She knew why – he didn't want to address this as much as she didn't, but she knew that at some point if they didn't speak about it, it was going to no-doubt haunt her mind and cause her the nightmares she used to have.

Who was she kidding? She was going to have nightmares again no matter what.

"Then I am at your service. What is it that you need?" Kinvara asks.

"A long time ago…when I had nightmares regarding…battles such as the ones our people have gone through…you told us of a legend. Of Azor Ahai. The legends of the Last Hero. And you said that if this came to fruition than we would have to…embrace that legend. Is that what is happening now?"

Kinvara lets out a deep sigh and then slowly nods. "I've been waiting for you to speak to me about this…in a way, it is." She takes a seat across from them, looking between both Daenerys and Jon. "I told you about the legend of Azor Ahai, and how his sword that fought the darkness came into the light. I've told you about the ways in which this war can end…in every single possible outcome, your family is the ones that were chosen to protect us, whether you believe me or not. Those evil…things are going to be coming regardless of who fights…it's only a question of if you will embrace it or not."

"Do the other red priests and priestesses think this way?" Jon asks calmly.

Kinvara nods. "While I am the leader of all of them, many have been asking when I would speak to you about this. We have a current hunch as to why we can not kill those skin creatures yet, and we think that it might have to do with you."

Daenerys' brow furrows. "What do you mean with us?"

"Well, to kill the White Walkers, that is an easy truth to be told. We know it's either dragonglass or Valyrian steel – two of which you have plenty of in the armies that you have. However, these new monsters appear to be immune to all of that, and even fire. How could we possibly figure out what can harm them?"

She reaches into a satchel that she had brought in and lays out a book on a table, opening up to a page that had been dogeared, showing them a drawing.

"This is an ancient prophecy from hundreds of thousands of years ago – with these same exact skin creatures making an appearance, under a ruler of the Night when Azor Ahai was the legend that was born."

"Does it say what can kill them?"

"Not, what if…but what can." She turns back to Jon, making sure that there was no space between them, her eyes serious, her gaze penetrating his won. "I've told you about the legend of the sword…the red priests and priestesses believe that the moment you make that sword, all will be revealed."

His brow furrows at her explanation. "What kind of shit is that? Making a sword will show everything? We need answers now."

"And you will get it if you let me finish talking, you Targaryen fool," she chastises, which causes him to shut his mouth. "Now, I didn't say that just building the sword would give you the answer to everything – just a way of killing these creatures, quickly and effectively, as Valyrian steel did for you all that time ago. They say that when the sword that is bathed to kill the darkness and end this horror that is bestowed upon us is made, then and only then will the weapons that we use work against the Skincrawlers. These are the worst possible champions that the Great Other could produce, as they eat, walk and breathe death. Nothing can kill them except the brightest light – Lightbringer. And, once Lightbringer is brought, then the other swords will be given the same essence as that one to take them on, but only when a sacrifice is made to save the world."

It was silent between them. Daenerys looked to her husband, who was staring at the ground, his hands wrung together, his leg shaking. Jon was never one to show his fears easily – especially now with how many people they had following them, and that they ruled as monarchs. But in this situation, there was no hiding his anxiety or anything else above.

She decides to speak this time. "So…in order to form this Lightbringer…would Jon have to kill me so that my soul could become…infused with the sword?" The words brought a vile taste to her mouth, and she wanted to take them back instantly, to pretend that none of this was happening, but she knew that if she didn't speak about it, she would lose her mind.

Kinvara nods a moment alter, confirming her thoughts. "That…is one way."

Jon's brow furrows instantly as he turns his head to look at her. "One way? There are other ways?"

"Well…loopholes, I presume, is the correct word," she states, looking at the two of them. "The legend of Lightbringer comes forth when someone whose soul is full of life and strength combines with the steel and the sorcery. And of course, the person whom would be doing the stabbing would have to truly care for the other, in order for it to be a sacrifice…no one ever said that it had to be Queen Daenerys, or even you, Jon, if she decided to wield the sword instead…but it has to be someone that you care deeply about. That's the only way Lightbringer can truly be brought back into the world."

Jon glances at the ground again, and his hands run through his hair. "I…is there any other way to defeat these creatures? There has to be…something."

Kinvara bites her lip. "We aren't sure, Jon. You weren't there. You didn't see what happened when we tried to used fire against them. It was like they were part of a volcano – completely unaffected. We are almost positive that it has something to do with the legend…there is strong magic in these creatures, some that are thousands of years old and have so many boundaries that have to be broken before it can ever get touched…and the Great Other knows that. Which is why these are impervious to your mortal attempts to kill his champions…and which is why he knows it will be nearly impossible for you to beat them."

"Why do you say that?" Jon asks, his voice low. "I thought you were on our side."

"I am. I am always on the side of the living," she whispers to him. "But at the same time, neither you, nor Daenerys, nor anyone who knows how you two rule, can deny that you don't care deeply without the other, and that's where this becomes harder."

Jon was silent again. Daenerys reaches over and rests her hand against his back, but he doesn't respond. She turns to Kinvara. "You may go now….make sure that the red priests and priestesses that are left are still good to go by dawn. We will call for you then."

Kinvara nods gently. As she goes to leave, her hand on the door with the book she had brought in her other arm, she turns to them. "Please…I know this prophecy is hard to hear and you want to avoid thinking about it. I know that this is a horrible burden that you and your family have been bestowed and no one deserves to go through this…but for the sake of the people out there…think of them. Think of what can happen next."

After that, she leaves, closing the door gently behind her. Daenerys waits until her footsteps vanish around the corner before she looks to Jon, who was still looking to the ground. Then, without even hesitating for a moment, she says shakily, "I'd do it."

He turns his head to look at her, clear shock evident in his dark eyes. "What?"

"If you had to kill me again, I would do it."

"Daenerys, are you positively mad?"

"She's right, Jon. Think about all the innocent lives that are going to be lost," she whispers to him, her hands holding his own. They were tight in her grip, and he was shaking his head subtly like he couldn't believe what she was saying. She couldn't either. "All those children that would never have a chance at life, the mothers and fathers that are just trying to protect their families, the elderly that have nowhere else to go…we would be putting that all at risk for trying to find another way around this."

"Dany…"

"And if I die…I know that our kingdom is in good hands," she whispers, fighting back the urge to cry. "I know that they will be lead by not only a great man, but a great leader, and even greater children."

"Dany, I'm not killing you, for fuck's sake!" he whispers fiercely. She could see that his eyes were glazed over with unshed tears. She was sure hers were, too. "I told her and you ages ago that I refuse to do something like that. I will never do that again."

"Jon, that's selfish."

"I don't care!" he exclaims, shaking his head while his arms moved to wrap around her this time. "I don't care about the rest of the lords or ladies or whomever out there…I want you, and my family. That's all I want. That's all I've ever wanted…I can't just…you can't…"

His words trail off, and tears finally start to leak out. That seemed to break her as well, and a few begin to trickle down her cheeks, but she quickly wipes them away, keeping her stance still and her gaze on him.

"You don't mean that – I know you don't," she whispers to him, her hand coming up to cup his stubbly cheek. "You care so much about the innocents as much as I do…if we didn't, we wouldn't have come here, now would we?"

He doesn't respond to that, but he instead looks at the ground. She could see tears fall onto his legs. "I love you, Dany," he croaks out, his voice cracking and breaking with grief. "I can't lose you again…I can't…"

"I know," she whispers, attempting so hard to stop the urge to cry with him. Damn it, she knew this would be horrible. "I know and it's a horrible thing to think about but it's something that would maybe have to be done…and we need to acknowledge it before either of us backs out."

"What about me?" he instantly asks, gesturing outside. "I can die. I've done it twice. You can wield the sword and-"

"We both know who's better at fighting, Jon," she says to him softly. "Even if I did have it, I would never last as long as you have out on the battlefield. We would lose."

"But…but-"

"There isn't a 'but' to this, Jon," she insists, her hands tightening around his own once more. "Even if we are the chosen ones, and everything that Kinvara said is right…there can only be one of us…I don't know who else we would sacrifice that we love with all our hearts that could give life to the sword. Can you think of anyone?"

Jon sniffles and shakes his head, but he doesn't say anything. She wraps his arms around him, this time resting her forehead against his own, trying to calm his shaking body.

"I know this isn't what either of us wanted to hear…we don't even know if it is true or not. But it's better that we have a plan instead of letting life hit us in the face…we need to agree on this."

"I'm never going to agree on killing you!" he exclaims, finally turning his gaze back to her. "I…I can't imagine my life without you."

"I know," she rasps, her emotions finally starting to get to her. "I know you don't and I don't want to imagine it either…but it's something we need to start thinking about…for the sake of not just Westeros but the rest of the world, for the little boys and girls back home in Valyria. For the ones on the edge of the realm, unaware of what is about to happen. We need to think of them. Not just ourselves, but everyone else. That's what good rulers do."

He looks at her, before he pulls her against his chest, holding her tightly against him. That one movement causes her to break, but she buries her head against his body, trying to hide the tears that were now streaming down her neck.

"If we survive this," he murmurs, his voice still shot from crying, "I'm taking you and all the children to Lys. We need to get away from ruling."

She lets out a ghost of a laugh. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I promise you, I'll make it happen," he whispers. She doesn't respond, just embraces his body more.

She knew he couldn't actually promise that now. No one could. But she could at least dream.

---

Dan and Daemon

They had heard the whole conversation. The twins had exchanged a look between the two of them, and had chased after Kinvara afterward. Dan was never a fan of seeing both her mother and father crying, and neither was Daemon. She had already gone over the letter from Davos – and it indeed was genuine, he had been on his way and something must have happened, so she would tell her father – but this had been something that she attracted both her and her brother's interests.

Seeing the two Targaryen monarch's cry always spelled trouble. It always meant that there was truly nothing they could do to prevent what was going to happen. They always had a plan and this time, it seemed that plan A, B, and all the way to Z was not going to work. They would have to work off the book.

But that wasn't what had made the twins want to find the red priestess. No, it was the constant sobbing about how much they didn't want to lose each other. And to Dan, she knew that it was not only true for the couple but true for the realm.

The whole reason why Valyria had been freed in the first place – at least from her perspective – was that the two individuals were good, but together they were unstoppable. Separating her parents was like separating cookies and tea. They were fine by themselves but together they were a beautiful pairing. And if the world lost the two of them, it would fall apart.

Neither her mother nor her father would probably ever get over the death of the other, and the rest of the realm would start to feel the repercussions as well. She could already see the horror show that would come out afterward, the kingdoms and buildings that would fall. And that's why she knew that this little Great Other had a brilliant plan. Wherever or whatever it was.

It was doing the same thing that Bran and Sansa had done previously – using their parent's love against each other. This time, for the whole world.

However, when they found Kinvara out in the courtyard, packing up what seemed to be a travel bag with her books as well as incantations in there, they ran up. She looked over in surprise at their hasty speed.

"I'm shocked you're here," she starts off. "I thought you would be getting ready to leave soon."

"We are, but we…we overheard you and our parents," Daemon responds, nodding back towards the castle. "About Lightbringer and what they would have to do."

Kinvara's face falls and she sighs, glancing down at her pouch. "Yes, indeed…it is horrible, isn't it?" She looks back at the children. "It's a shame that the two people who probably love each other the most in the world will have to end the other's life to save thousands…I wish there was something we could do."

"Well…wouldn't you just be able to bring them back?" Dan suggests. "Like you have with father? And even with Nesara to an extent?"

Kinvara instantly shakes her head. "Oh, no. It's completely different from this type of sorcery. You see, the Lord of Light picks out who he wants to be his champion. In this instance, it is Jon and Daenerys, both of which have been brought back from the dead. However, because we do not have control over that specific instance, they are brought back only through the Lord of Light. We can offer prayers, but it is his decision if he feels that they would be useful to the world better alive."

"So…you're saying there's a chance they could survive if the Lord of Light wants them to, but other than there, there isn't anything you can do?"

"We can only work along with mortal wounds here. With wounds inflicted with sorcery…like Lightbringer, for example, it's dealt with a much higher power. Something I could never do, no matter how long I've been serving Him."

Dan nods quietly. "Is there anyone else they can…do the thing with?"

"You mean the sacrifice?" Kinvara asks her with a raised brow. Dan quietly nods. She didn't want to admit what it was, even if internally she did know. "Unless you can think of someone who'd be willing to put up their life that they love, I don't know who else they could pick…it's a lose-lose situation for them."

Dan and Daemon exchange another glance before turning back to her. "Alright…thank you for answering the questions at least. We'll see you in a couple of hours."

Kinvara nods gently. "You get some rest. You're going to need it, children."

They don't respond. The two of them head back into the castle, and once they are behind the walls, Dan looks at the floor, trying to think of the best way to describe this situation. Daemon leans against the wall, his arms crossed.

"Is one of them really going to have to die?" he asks quietly, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"I don't know, brother," she mumbles, looking back at him, this time with her own fear laced in her eyes. "I don't know…all I understand is that someone is…and whether that be her or him or…I don't know, it's going to need to happen to live."

"Well…we don't know that."

"We don't, but as mother said to father, we need to be prepared for if something like that does happen." She glances back outside, her lip bitten underneath her teeth, nervously chewing. "And I think it's coming sooner than any of us expect."

---

Daenerys

When the sun was just rising over the horizon, Jon and Daenerys emerged from the castle of Winterfell, hand-in-hand.

They had basked in the sweet silence for as long as they could in their chamber, trying to get out all the pain and fear that they felt leaving this place and heading forward to Casterly Rock. It had been needed, and when they came out, they truly felt they were ready to start moving. Neither was willing to admit that they were prepared for what was to come, but at least they knew what was happening now, and that was what mattered.

Their troops were lined up. Rhaemon had said that if they started moving, they would come across the dragons again at some point, so they would be reunited with a big bulk of their forces. Their army stood, waiting for them, along with the Unsullied, the Dothraki, and the sorcerers, with their respective leaders at the front. Arya was standing with Gendry, and Sansa was there, with her arms in chains, being held down by her sister.

He nods to her and she nods back, glad that she was willingly doing this. They weren't about to leave Sansa to be torn to shreds, but they could at least make her travel just as much as they would have to.

Tyrion stood with Taevar, both of them waiting with the others.

"Tyrion," Jon states calmly. "I would expect that you know the best route to get to Casterly Rock from here?"

"I do indeed, your grace."

"Good…we're going to be following your lead. If we get even a hint of something strange I-"

"Will cut of my head and feed it to the dragons, I know," Tyrion responds, ending Jon's sentence before he could even speak it. "Trust me, at this point in my life I've done enough double-crossing. There's no game here. I just want us to be safe."

Jon nods quietly to his words before turning to look at Taevar. "Is everything set to go?"

"All of our armies are fed, bred, and ready to walk, your grace. We only need your command."

At that moment, Eleana comes over with Robb, who was not awake and clearly tussled that he had been woken up so early. Daenerys gently takes her son into his arms, whispering softly to him as he started to fuss. "I think leaving as soon as possible will be good for the little one," she says softly to Jon.

He nods, going to raise his hand to signal the start to move. But instead, he's suddenly stopped by someone yelling for him.

"Wait!"

Jon turns his head to see Wyman Manderly, followed by the other Northern lords leaving the castle behind them. They run with their men towards him, seemingly trying to catch his and Daenerys' attention. Jon turns to look at her and she encourages him with a soft nod, holding onto Robb as he started to play with her hair.

He steps forward, his hand against his sword just in case. "What is going on? We have to leave."

"The Northern lords…have made their decision," Wyman states, breathing heavily from running.

"Alright, well…do you speak for every single lord here? Do they not have a voice as well?" Jon counters.

"They do, but they chose me to deliver the message," he responds quietly, his breathing beginning to turn normal again. "We wish to join your forces."

Daenerys' brow raises in surprise, as does everyone else's apparently. Many were expecting the lords to stay behind – including her children, who were standing behind her, staring at the lords with genuine expressions of stupor against their faces. "What brought on this change of heart?" Jon asks.

Wyman sighs. "What you said about Daenerys…was true. We didn't treat her as we should have at first." He looks over at her. "Queen Daenerys, we only treated you as passively as we did because we didn't want another Targaryen ruler after your father. He tore this realm apart. People were constantly in fear of their lives, or when the next person would be burned alive…we didn't know you. We didn't want to chance it. And for that, we are sorry."

Daenerys nods gently. "I accept your apology, as well as the others…but I'm still confused as to why you've chosen to leave your homes."

"Because you two are right." He steps back, going back in line with the lords next to him. "You have a thriving nation. A beautiful one, at that. Our home has been falling apart…no thanks to the leadership that we picked." He glances over at Sansa, who was quiet where she stood, held down by Arya, hands tightened and tide together. "We want a chance at something different, so that not only we can survive, but our children can, and their children can, and we can keep living in a better world that we build for our legacies…we don't know how this is going to end, but you're right. We don't stand a chance if we don't come together. We all saw what happened with the White Walkers…and that could be even worse this time. If we want to stay alive, we must unite with Valyria, and that is exactly what we planned on doing."

Wyman removes his sword from his holster and holds it against the snow, before kneeling down on one knee. The other lords follow suit, taking their swords out, placing them against the ground, and kneeling. It was almost like a domino effect, one row after the other, each taking a knee, bowing their heads.

"King Jaehaerys and Queen Daenerys of the Kingdom Valyria," Wyman begins solidly. "We know that we are not deserving of your forgiveness, but the kingdom of the North wishes to swear their fealty to you in the wars to come. After the dead are fought, and the world is restored to peace once more, may we discuss what comes after, but for now, we want to fight with you, under the title of your Northern army. Will you accept us?"

Jon and Daenerys exchange another look. She gently hands Robb to Eleana and moves to stand at his side. She gives one soft nod to him, squeezes his hand, and then places her hand at the edge of her sword. He does the same. The two of them take both out simultaneously and hold them above the shoulders of Wyman, who had his head bowed once more.

"All of you have proven to be capable fighters," Jon begins, speaking as loud as he could for everyone to hear near the back. "While the past remains, we look forward to the future. We look forward to the life we could bring, and the world that is yet to come. Which is why now, you will rise a warrior of Valyria."

"Do you swear to fight for the living?" she asks the man.

Instead of just Wyman responding, hundreds of others do as well, all saying the same phrase. "I swear!"

"Do you promise to protect the lives of the innocents?"

"I promise!"

"And do you vow to stand by your oath, even in the darkest of nights, when hope seems at its lowest? Do you vow to stand by your word, from this day until the end of your days?"

"I vow!"

They both lower their swords. Jon's voice comes out smoothly. "Rise."

Wyman stands first, followed by the other lords, one at a time. Meera watched from the sidelines, smiling at her father. Daenerys was happy the girl had gotten what she wanted. She would make sure to keep her on her mind. Her stories about Bran might be helpful in the coming wars.

Jon steps forward and clasps Wyman's shoulder, a tired but animated smile on his lips. "Welcome to the Valyrian army. All of you."

"We will not let you down," Wyman promises.

Daenerys takes Robb again from Eleana's arms, feeling the direwolves collect at her feet, almost protectively. She didn't blame them – she knew it would take time to trust the Northern lords, but if they were willing to aid them, then she was willing to give them a try. "I hope not," she says softly, before nodding to her children, and then her generals. "Come. We need to leave as soon as possible."

The generals begin to bark commands at their men, all starting to move forward. Jon looks to Daenerys and gives her a gentle and subtle kiss on the forehead, before moving to speak with Wyman and the other lords that rush forward, wanting to join the ranks. She lets out a soft sigh and moves her children to the front of her, just so she could watch them and make sure that everything worked well.

She glances behind her once last time as they walked, getting another glimpse of Winterfell, before eventually, that faded into the past as well, and vanished beyond the distance.

They couldn't focus on what was behind them now. All they could do was keep moving forward.

---

The Red Keep

Those bastards kept using those charms…he'd make sure that somehow, someway, he would find them. Whether that be through that dragon whore's mind, or some other…possibility.

Ah yes, a possibility. Something that could say…follow them. Someone they wouldn't expect…surely not the little wolf in the North, she was too easy. Too gullible. Too in love with the Targaryen boy…but there was someone that was far gone, below the sea.

Someone who could be unstoppable if he used his powers correctly.

If he could bring back dragons and the corpses of humans to do his bidding, who's to say that burned corpses couldn't do the same thing?

"Guards," he barks, as three men clumber in. "Set a course for the Smoking Sea…make sure that you have men who can dive down below the waters. There's a body I want to be found."

"W-who, my king?" the guard stutters. The man rolls his eyes from where he sat before they narrowed looking at the map below. He closes them, picturing the dull waves washing over him, the fish swimming around, before his eyes land on a burnt corpse with a woman's body, lying near the edge of the sand.

Bran smiles as he opens his eyes, glowing crystal blue, his hands beginning to twitch. "You'll notice her when you see the burnt edges of her body. Bring her to me as soon as possible." They do not move. "That is an order!" he screams.

They instantly scurry out of the room. Pity. His former servants had been good to him before that bloody wolf bitch had stabbed his former essence in the heart. No matter. When he won this, he would never have to look for good help ever again. It would be right at his fingertips, including the rest of the realm, and all who inhabited it. And the Great Other's mission would finally be fulfilled.

"I will finish what I started," he promises, looking above him to the sky, the dark clouds beginning to send down snow to the ground. His eyes turn back to the map, and he leans back in his chair, a slow building-smirk that could make a murderer's skin crawl. "Beginning…with her."

His finger rests at the edge of the Smoking Sea. And from there, he could almost feel his mind beginning to move, as ideas after ideas started to fill his head. No, the Targaryen army had no idea what they were in for.

And soon, an age of darkness would follow, a new life that would end in pain for these people who dared defy him. He would make sure of it.

---

I mean, I had to bring in Bran at some point, right? XD

I wanted to talk about a couple of the constructive criticisms I've been getting before we sign off today because it's about time I addressed it a little.

Modern Writing - yes, I will even admit myself that my writing can sometimes be a little too modern. Before this, I wrote a lot of The Walking Dead fanfiction, as well as Marvel fanfiction with a friend of mine, so I'm very used to writing in a modern way. This was my first shot ever into this fandom and I knew it would be hard to write medieval in a way because it's something I've never done. I personally think it's gotten better over time but there's always room for improvement, so believe me when I know I do write a little too modern sometimes - I can only hope that the story and plot is good enough, so please be gentle with me - it's my first time!

Sex- yep. I write a lot of sex. I write a lot of smut. I ain't ashamed of that. If you're complaining about too much sex in a Game of Thrones fanfic, I'd be sort of surprised because I'd almost expect it in these fics - at least from the ones I have read. I love this couple with a passion and we were bloody deprived of it with how often we were given other sex scenes in the show, so I'm going to show how much they love each other as much as I can. I only put it in there because I love the scenes, and I'm sure many of you do as well, but there have been a couple who have commented about it and that's why - I just love this couple so much and I want to share the love with others.

Initially 'slow the plot' - I've never been one to write a lot, but this story has brought out a completely different side of me. I love writing all the small little details that you see because it gives the story character. At least with what I feel I've written, every scene has its purpose, to expose a character, to increase bonds between each other, to show love and care and everything else - everything has its purpose. Is my story ridiculously long? Yes. But would I want it any other way? No. And I hope that you all appreciate that as well...maybe I should start writing shorter chapters, who knows, but I do know that I genuinely enjoy writing this, and I hope that you all like it as well.

Alright, there's my peace. Now, here are some Valyrian translations for you all:

Ñuha dāria – my queen

Pryjatys - massacre

Thank you for listening and reading. I just had to get my thoughts out on it, and I hope that is okay. I'll try to upload the next chapter as soon as possible but be patient with me - I want to make them great so if it takes a little extra time, I promise I'm not abandoning the story - I just want to make them good haha.

As always, love it? Hate it? Want to send me off the North to fight the White Walkers and defend my honor? Let me know in the reviews, as they always inspire me to keep writing and pushing out these chapters for all of you. Each and every single one of you has been super responsive and have taken the time out of your day to review, so I just want to say thank you for your continued support and I appreciate each of you - you are all amazingly 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 that you have a great day! Wash your hands and stay healthy!