It is an auspicious day when Sansa lands on the shores of Dragonstone. The Targaryen stronghold looms above the cliffs, but instead of three, only one dragon roams the skies, roaring in mourning of his lost siblings.
When she heard of what had transpired from a letter from Tyrion, she had intercepted Ser Jaime, who was trying to leave Winterfell and Brienne to go to the capital.
"Are you a fool or what?", she had snarled at the one-handed Lannister. "You would abandon this woman who loves you so much, only so that you could go back to that venomous bitch. If you do this, you best not return, because you would long for the flames of the dragons."
"You do not understand..." he tried to protest, as Sansa had Arya bar his way, Needle in hand.
"Oh, but I do. You Lannisters are a bunch of fools, that's what you are. I cannot fathom how you lot still draw breath.", she pointed towards Brienne, who seemed on the verge of crying. "How dare you break her heart?"
"She deserves better than me.", was his response and he was right. Brienne did. But we all get what we get.
In the end, she had convinced him to do something else. Brienne, Jaime and Sansa took Sandor and Arya, who wanted to settle old scores in the capital, with them to Dragonstone to join the queen's forces. Sansa still had her doubts about it all, but knew one thing - if Daenerys attacked the capital in her fury and grief, there won't be a Westeros left to rule over.
Sansa hadn't liked the dragons much. Powerful and untamable as they were, another thing that she had no control over. Something else that could end her. Missandei though was a sweet girl. Clever, too. The wise Naathi girl would have been the envy of any lady of Westeros, had she been born herself as one. Instead, she had ended up as another of Cersei's victims.
Unlike the obvious worries of the Lannister brothers, Sansa held no worry over Cersei's fate. If Daenerys wanted to burn her alive, Sansa would beg for the honor of lighting the pyre. She would savor the moment and sleep like a babe. Not that she did not have competitors. Before that, Daenerys's hatred of Cersei was merely superficial. Despite being supported largely by people who hated Cersei (she had always been good at uniting people), Daenerys herself held no grudge against the woman, apart from the fact that she was sitting in the wrong chair.
Now it was personal...
Sansa knows that if she had a grown dragon a few years back, when the Lannister abuses were still fresh in mind and not outshined by Ramsay's, King's Landing would be ashes by now.
Sansa cared little for the people of the city. The ones who cheered for her father's death, while tears poured from her eyes. She would not shed a tear for them. But it was wrong. Somehow, she knew it was wrong. And Daenerys...
There are things that she should have told the dragon queen.
"I do not think that she would welcome you, my lady." Her former spouse said. "Especially within the company of a kingslayer and an assassin."
Arya scoffed and Jaime held his tongue, then asked to speak with Tyrion alone. After requesting from Brienne to accompany Ser Jaime (and listen in, just in case), she announced that she would meet with Daenerys nonetheless. Before parting, Arya slipped her the Valyrian dagger. "If you need it...", she had whispered.
She was led towards a room, guarded by the Unsullied.
"I ask for an audience with Her Grace."
"Queen demands solitude." one of them spoke in broken Common.
"I will not move from here until I speak with her.", she demanded, refusing to be ignored. People had been calling her the Red Wolf more and more these days. She now knew why.
"Then you will stand here.", was their response.
"Let her in." A hoarse feminine voice spoke through the wooden doors and the soldiers opened them.
The sight was...terrible.
The Dragon queen's fearsome braids were ruffled and messy, most of them gone. Her eyes were of a darker purple, yet cold. So cold. She was sitting at the window, glancing at her last child.
"I could still see it as if it were yesterday.", she spoke to no one in particular. "We hadn't seen the ships, hiding among the cliffs. A scorpion bolt flashed right next to me, striking down my wounded boy. I tried to avenge him, but I couldn't risk him, too. And then I heard of Missandei…"
"I am so sorry, your Grace." There was genuine regret there, for Sansa knew what it was like to lose one's family.
"I watched as Cersei ordered her monster to kill Missy. My sister in all but name."
"They will be avenged, Your Grace. There will be justice. For her and everyone else they have harmed."
"Justice?", Daenerys scoffed and turned towards her, eyes filled with malice. "It will not be justice. It will be vengeance. I will turn that entire city into a mausoleum in honor of all those who have died for that fucking realm. By the time I am done, Old Valyria will look habitable in comparison."
Sansa was shocked. She had thought she knew the anger of a dragon, but she had been a fool. This is her when she is angry. When she hates. The dragon has awoken.
"Alright.", Sansa had spoken and looked Daenerys right in the eyes.
"Beg your pardon?", the dragoness looked surprised.
"You do that. You burn the Red Keep, the Dragonpit, the streets, all the three hills. All the people. All the men, women and children. All the soldiers and all the innocent bystanders. Turn all the buildings to ruin and salt the earth. Become the greatest mass murderer in the history of this wretched land. Then what?"
Daenerys's face took so many different shapes that Sansa would have laughed, had she not been paralyzed by fear. Every inch of her skin was immovable, save her tongue. The queen's face fell and she replied:
"Then I can finally rule in peace. If it can't be love, then I will have fear."
"Fear...you think fear will give you peace? Fear turns to hatred and hatred turns to war. And no peace. Is that what you want?"
"WHAT I WANT IS SOME FUCKING GRATITUDE!"
"What?"
"YEAH, some gratitude. Is that so much to ask for? Huh? I saved your brother's life. I saved your home. I saved all of Westeros and you lot won't even admit it.", she got closer to her, madness in her eyes. "You, all of you, owe your lives to me. Twist it however you like, that is a fact. And all I ask in return is your fealty. That's it. That's all." The madness faded and tears flooded the dragon's eyes, slowly extinguishing the flames. "And instead, what do I get? Spitting on my feet. Scorn. Hatred. Mistrust. Unacceptance. Heartbreak. Loss.", then she smirked. "And, of course, the icy hospitality of the heartless lady of Winterfell who apparently is only capable of judging me."
If Sansa's face looked like that of a dolt, it was because it did look like it. Her mouth was slightly open and she was, as they say, dumbstruck. Oceans of regret flooded her mind and not a word she could make.
"And all because my father happens to be the Mad King.", she kept on ranting. "Who burned your uncle and grandfather. As if you have ever even met them. And then, of course, the cause for all the trouble. My fucking brother. You know, I seem to be blessed with brothers. One a madman. The other a cheating fuck, who abandoned his sick wife and children for one northern slut. All so he could breed the man who broke my heart."
Sansa's eyes widened. Not because of the words on her aunt. Sansa herself had formed a similar view on the dead lovers, who tore the realm apart, for their love.
"Oh, please. Don't pretend as if you don't know. I was certain that he would blabber it all, with no thought of the position it puts me in. All so that he could exonerate the noble Ned Stark of his only crime."
"What will you do to Jon?", Sansa asked, feeling the dagger tucked in her dress safely, held in its scabbard.
"And there it is? The Stark family love. No place for dragons, right?", Sansa ignored the pit of regret that threatened to burst and repeated her question. "As long as he at least stays loyal, he won't get hurt. He will keep the North, as Warden and Lord. Or perhaps you want more?", the madness resurfaced. "Him king in the South, you Queen in the North. Yes, that's it, isn't it? That's why you want Independence for your precious North. So you could be queen."
Sansa stiffened. "Your Grace, I..."
"Do you really think he can do it? Don't you see how bending he is, how he would do anything to please his own vassals, even letting them insult his allies, just so he could get their approval? He would make for a poor king."
Sansa could hold her breath no longer. "You think I want a crown? Why does everyone think that? All I want is to be safe in my home. All I want is for Cersei to be dead so that I CAN live in peace. IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK FOR?" she was the one shouting now. "And instead, what do I get?" her question mirrored Daenerys's. "A mythical army of the dead and that rotten bitch still living all because no one seems to be able to put her down. And all I see from those around me is madness. Madness and stupidity. You rave about loss and pain? Well, guess what? I have lost, too. My brother and father and mother died because of their stupidity. I can't even recognize Arya anymore. My other brothers are dead, even though Bran is still around, he is as good as dead. Jon reminds me of my father so much that I can't stop thinking how someone will kill him in the end. Again." Now she was crying, too. "I have been bought and sold, raped and defiled, humiliated and frightened. And then you came along. The perfect queen."
"You think that I am at fault? I? Me - perfect?" she chuckled painfully. "What jokes are you spouting?", she crumbled into the chair. "At age 5 my childhood ended when my guardian died. We were living in a house in Braavos. I can remember nothing of it except for the red door and the lemon tree." I loved lemons once. "I remember one time, I woke at night and Ser Willem, my guardian, was dragging something along the floor. He put me back to bed and on the following morning he said I was dreaming, but now that I think of it, it must have been an assassin."
"What happened?"
"Ser Willem died of sickness. The servants stole everything they could and my brother and I were forced on the streets. We moved from one home to the next, getting housed as mere curiosities or as mercy. Sooner or later, our hosts would get tired of Viserys's arrogance. Or they would want payment. Sometimes in ways other than gold...", she sighed. "Viserys kept me safe, but I was nothing but an extension of him. A prized thing to sell for his crown. Which he eventually did at age 13, when he sold me to Drogo. Getting raped on your wedding night is not pleasant I assure you."
"I know.", Daenerys glanced at her sudden input. "My second wedding was like that."
"Why do you hate me so?", she was asked. "And don't tell me its because of my father, because I think you are deeper than that."
"I want to be safe. That's all." It was an answer as honest as she could give. "I do not want to be at the mercy of anyone else."
"Then don't be. I am no threat to you. Nor your family."
"Yet we all have to play the game..."
"I hate it. That stupid game, its stupid rules, its stupid players. And I am so angry all the time. I need to end this. So that I can have peace. To protect us all. Me, you, them, everyone."
"Then do so. But not in a way that makes you worse than your enemies. You saved us all and I thank you for it. I am sorry that I never thanked you properly before. I have heard great things of you from the east. They call you "mother", no? Don't let your spirit die. Your children still need you. Westeros needs you, whatever they say."
That was what broke down the walls around the dragon's heart and she began weeping once more. Whatever instinct made Sansa rush to embrace her and press the queen's head to her chest, she was thankful for it. It felt nice, holding her, calming her, embracing her.
The queen sniffed. "Don't go then. Watch as I make Westeros a better place."
"You want me by your side?", Sansa was baffled, to say the least. Baffled and glad?!
"If it doesn't represent any difficulty. I know how you love arguing with me and I need you to keep doing that. Unlike the others, you have something to contribute."
"Can you promise that you won't make me marry anyone?"
"My lady Sansa.", there was a playful smirk on Daenerys's face and Sansa smiled at that most pleasant change. "Whoever dares to ask for your hand will die screaming."
"That's good enough." Her poor suitors will say that Lady Sansa sacrificed herself to keep the dragon tame. Not the worst thing in the world, surely.
Sansa slept with the queen that night. Nothing strange in ladies sharing a bed. Everyone in Westeros does it. Though perhaps they are not doing so naked.
Daenerys had casually said that she sleeps in the nude and Sansa, being the well-bred lady that she is, stripped immediately and joined the naked Valyrian in the bed. The things I do for my House.
They told each other tales of their childhoods. Mostly Sansa though, for she was the only one of them with tales that did not bring them to tears. Sansa more and more noticed how Daenerys, as she insisted to be called in private, freely laughed at Sansa's stories, joy and mirth on her face. The change of mood was so odd and yet so desired.
Gone were the anger and pain. She was peaceful, happy andbeautiful.
So beautiful. Her lips, her hair, her perky breasts.
That settles it. Jon is an idiot. If he could set aside the love of a woman like that, then he is too stupid to be King of the Seven kingdoms.
Sansa did not know why such lustful thoughts had slipped into her mind. She was adamantly against being married to men, but Daenerys was woman, thus perhaps excluded from that sort of thought. When she felt shivers run down her spine, she thought it must be in her mind. That's when she focused her vision on Daenerys's soft smile, which relished in Ned Stark's daughter's reactions to what actually was her hand. That is when she slightly lifted the bedsheets so see a dainty hand, palming Sansa's bare arse.
Daenerys stopped for a moment, looking at Sansa's expression. Sansa was shocked. She was enjoying it, the touch of another, when she remembers still the last person who touched her like that. There is no trembling, no fear, no shaking. She could breath, the only thing that was happening were the jolts of pleasure that ran up and down her spine and slowly formed heat at her core. When Sansa slightly lifted her right leg up, she felt how sweaty her auburn bush was getting.
I am enjoying this. The touch of another. What is this strange feeling? Is this how mother felt with father?
A tear ran down her cheek and Daenerys obviously got the wrong impression.
"I am so sorry. I shouldn't have presumed. I would never-"
At the first moment, Sansa thought she should get out of the bed and run away. Deny all possible joy of this and forget about how one of the greatest sins in the Seven-Pointed Star had brought her pleasure.
At the second moment, she realized that the Gods have never answered her prayers, when she begged them for the lives of her family. For this reason, she thought that if the Gods had something against this, then they can go fuck themselves.
At the third moment, Sansa showed how wrong Daenerys was by silencing her with a kiss. Her tongue invaded the royal mouth and so good it felt that there was no denying it.
Thank you for being such a fool, Jon. For I want this woman and I will not share.
The dragon queen kissed her again and again, knowing she would face no rejection. Sansa was not a skilled lover by any means, certainly not with a woman. She was acting only on instinct, when her hands roamed the milky skin. Her left hand had already found its way to the royal pussy and rubbed it softly, just like the queen was concurrently doing to her. It was at that moment, when she remembered one of Baelish's lessons. Rather, he had mentioned it offhand and she decided to give it her try. Slowly but steadily, Sansa used her right hand to move around Daenerys's ass and slowly inserted her middle finger inside the queen's tight hole.
"Aaahhh." the Queen moaned and Sansa knew she had done no wrong. "Not so innocent, are you?"
Sansa's face became as red as her hair. "I have learned a few things along the way."
"Well, let me show you something I have learned."
To say that Sansa was excited would have been an understatement. The Queen let go of her and went on the opposite side of the bed. Then she positioned herself between Sansa's legs and pressed her pussy to her own.
"Are you ready?"
"Mhm." And then the queen started rubbing herself against Sansa, who desperately tried to seek friction as well.
Their moans of pleasure echoed throughout the bedchamber until they were replaced by shouts of each other's names. After they reached their loud climaxes, at the same time, Daenerys crawled to Sansa's side.
"You can call me Dany."
"What?" Sansa was still out of breath, still comprehending what had transpired.
"I won't burn the city.", she said. "You are right. I mustn't."
"It's the right thing to do."
"If...if you want to go back North, I understand."
"There is nothing in the North for me anymore."
"Huh?" Daenerys and herself were both surprised at that honest admission.
"If I go North, sure I will have Winterfell. Being its lady will feel nice, but then I will have to marry some man to have heirs. Long term, I will not like it. I want to stay with you, Dany."
She could feel Dany's tears fall on her own cheeks when they kissed once more.
"My home will be wherever you are going to rule from, I suppose. Even though, calling King's Landing home is the last thing I can imagine."
"I will build us a new home. A new capital for a new beginning."
Sansa chuckled. "That is going to be expensive."
"Lucky you, I am a rich queen."
The next day was difficult. In the morning, a scared little girl-servant admitted that Varys had convinced her to poison Daenerys, by putting Tears of Lys in her food, by telling her that Daenerys was evil. The only reason Dany was fine was because she had been starving herself ever since Missandei died.
To say that Daenerys was furious was an understatement.
To say that Varys's death was painful was an understatement also, as she had the words "child exploiter" carved onto his bald head, his tongue removed with hot pincers and then had him crucified.
She didn't harm the child though. That is what made all the difference. That is why Varys was wrong.
In the evening, they held a small council meeting with the battle commanders available. Which is to say - Daenerys, Sansa, Tyrion, Arya, Sandor, Brienne, Jaime and Jon.
In the end it was decided that a small group of men would sneak inside the castle and murder Cersei, while the army invaded the city.
"What about Euron's fleet and the Golden Company?" Asked the newly arrived Princess Arianne Martell, eldest daughter of Prince Doran, who had been with her mother in Norvos when the Ellaria's coup had taken place and who had now contributed 10 000 Dornish spears to the cause. To end the Lannisters and in support of the queen, not to avenge that bastard bitch. Tyrion had murmured in agreement back then and she knew that it must have been difficult for the man to be allies with the woman, who had murdered his niece.
"They won't be a problem for long. Ships burn, gold melts."
"Hear, hear.", quipped Yara Greyjoy.
"Also,", Daenerys continued. "one more thing. Tyrion..."
"I know..." the Imp sighed and gave Dany his hand badge.
"When you earn my forgiveness and atone for your failures, I may consider reinstating you in the small council as more than just an advisor. Till then, Sansa Stark, I name you Hand of the Queen."
"I...I...thank you, your Grace. I hope I prove worthy of it."
"I have a feeling that this new world you keep talking about will belong to women only. You will need a husband though." the Dornishwoman quipped. "Perhaps I could offer a cousin of mine or-"
Daenerys closed the subject, when she dragged Sansa into a passionate kiss, much to the amusement of everyone.
"Oh, come on.", Yara sighed. "I knew I should have asked for that instead of a crown. Damn it."
"And here we go. I am getting tired of being surrounded by so much happiness. First my brother and Brienne and now this..."
That's when Sansa tore her lips from Dany's and looked at the smirking audience. Jaime was looking incredulously at his brother who responded: "Jaime, your room is right beneath mine. I hear everything."
"Isn't mine right above yours?", Daenerys asked and the dwarf sighed.
"I couldn't sleep well these last few nights." Sansa almost pitied him, but then she remembered how good her nights were.
"When? How?" Jon asked, surprise written on his face.
"When you are stupid enough to ditch a woman like that, this is what happens."
The Clash of the Queens the maesters called it. Sansa insisted on riding with Dany atop Drogon. Not because it was romantic, which it was. It was because she wanted to be with her. To support her up there and remind her that the ants below were living, mostly innocent people. She had also insisted that they wear armor and, as ridiculous as they looked wearing one, they were a bit safer this way. Daenerys moved like a lightning bolt across the skies, diving and flying off, while burning the whole Iron fleet to ashes. Within minutes, all that was left of it were burning wrecks and screaming ironborn.
Then she moved onto the walls of the city, burning every scorpion along them and then blasting open the gates of the city, wiping out the Golden company guarding them. The troops did the rest.
Soon enough, Sansa noticed how their men were at a standstill at one of the streets. The Lannister soldiers looked frightened out of their wits, their attention spread between the enemy soldiers and Drogon. Dany landed on the top of a nearby building and they heard Tyrion shout:
"There is no need for any more bloodshed. You hate my sister, you will be fools not to. She destroyed Baelor's, thus wiping out the Queen Margaery, who fed you, and causing the suicide of her last son, my nephew Tommen. She conspired to murder Robert Baratheon, whom she cuckolded for years with my brother Jaime. That cowardly woman hides in that castle, while you die for her. While so many of us did, fighting the White Walkers in the North. I know it sounds unbelievable and she has no doubt spread lies about what happened at the Dragon Pit. But ask yourselves this - Do you want to die for a queen who will not die for you? There stands my queen!" he points towards Dany and Sansa "Where is yours?"
A moment of silence passed, when one of the Lannister soldiers stepped forward. He dropped removed his helmet and asked. "Will we be spared?"
"Have you not been listening to a word I said? Yes. You will be. End the fighting and ring the fucking bells.", Tyrion shouted exasperated.
The man tossed his sword to the ground and knelt in Dany's direction. "We surrender." And the rest followed.
Soon the bells started tolling and the situation became clearer.
On their side, the casualties were...zero. Well, there were a few men who had died, but it was practically nothing. Most of the Lannister soldiers surrendered and denounced Cersei. As for her...well...
Arya, Sandor, Jaime and Brienne had entered the Red Keep. Sandor had fought to the death with the Mountain, finally managing to kill him with Brienne and Arya's help. Jaime was the one who had killed Cersei, strangling her when learning of her plot to burn the city down with wildfire. Her Hand, the madman Qyburn, Arya had managed to track down and kill just before the man had lit the wildfire and destroyed the city.
In front of all the surviving armies and the people of the city, Jon, who by then thanks to Varys's letters, everyone knew who he was, declared his abdication of his claim to the throne, renouncing his father as irresponsible, and named Daenerys, by right of Conquest, Queen of All Westeros and Shield of Her People.
Daenerys, in turn, recognized Jon as a Prince of the Realm and her heir, if she has no children. Jon left for Winterfell to resume as Warden of the North and a few years later, he married a blond wildling woman, named Val.
Tyrion, for his passionate speech and convincing the enemy to surrender, she named Master of Coin. That was before she learned of his promising Highgarden to some sellsword, which ended with her saying that she would find him some castle, with Sansa suggesting the Twins.
Sandor, Brienne and Arya joined her Queensguard, with the first doing so only if it did not include knighting him and the second only if she could still marry Jaime, which was allowed. It was a new world after all. Arya had wanted to travel around the world, but opted to keep her sister, as well as her good-sister, safe. Dany named her Lady Commander of the Queensguard.
Bran had come to the capital saying that he would be the new Master of Whisperers. Knowing of his abilities, nobody spoke against that.
The Lannister brothers had asked to burry Cersei at Casterly and Dany had agreed, but then again...Sansa was petty. One lovely night between her lover's legs had managed to convince her to hire mercenaries to steal Cersei's body and let the angry mob of King's Landing desecrate the corpse as only they knew.
Dany and Sansa decided that instead of building a new one, they would make this city better and so began a massive rebuilding process as soon as all the wildfire was safely removed from it. Neither of them liked the stench.
As for Dany and Sansa...well...
"Dany, love, where are you?"
"Here.", she heard a shout from behind the tree in the garden and rushed. Queen's Landing, as everyone called it now, had many improvements and one of them was the new garden, which is to replace the one that Cersei had apparently burned down in a fit some time ago.
"I don't want to come down. I am scared of her.", she heard a squeaky voice coming from up the tree, where a boy of twelve namedays was hiding.
"Oh, come on Aegon. You are not scared of riding atop Drogon, but you are scared of a few blushing girls."
Soon after the ReConquest, as the maesters called it, was over, they discovered that Dany was pregnant. The father was obviously Jon, but he preferred to stay in the North and thus rarely visited. Shame perhaps? Sansa didn't care really. Dany had long forgiven him, but then again Jon must forgive himself. Dany was hers and hers alone and now they had a child, too.
The two women had stayed together through it all, wives to each other in all but name. The whole realm knew and if anybody cared, they wisely kept their tongues behind their teeth.
"Alliandra is scary, mommies. She always shoves her chest in my face."
"It's how she shows she likes you." Just how once upon a time, her mother tried to convince us to have a threesome. "It's all alright. We will be there and make certain that she doesn't hurt you too badly."
Dany chuckled. "Now come down, love. It won't look good to have you absent from your own nameday tourney."
"Oh, alright.", he deftly climbed down the tree, which reminded her of Bran in his youth. "But I am doing this only because I love you both. If she shows me her breasts in the corridors again, I am out."
He let the servants take him to change his clothes. It wouldn't do to have the Prince of Dragonstone walk around the capital with dirty clothes.
"You know, we are really lucky. No marriage and we have a child and seven kingdoms to rule over."
"Indeed, Sansa. Though...knowing him, it would be some time before he is ready.", she glanced at the empty gazebo and noticed that there was no one in the garden now.
"You lustful woman!. How have I managed to keep you happy for so long?", laughed the unofficial consort of the dragon queen. "Let's have some fun. But if someone sees us, you are the one who is doing the explanations this time."
And thus, the Lady kissed by fire and the Queen healed by ice found their happiness with each other. The world will forget many of their companions, but it will always remember them, immortalize them in books and songs, as the Queens of Ice and Fire.
fin