The shore had become a flurry of disorder as supplies were frantically gathered and ships were launched. Jon stood motionless in the fray, backlit by fires of green and red. Arya and Yara were shouting orders while Tyrion Lannister attempted to push his sister in law towards the ship Yara had singled out for them.

"It's my fastest." She told him quickly before giving him a tight nod and returning to the chaos.

"Lord Tyrion!" An Iron Born was carefully guiding a young woman towards them. "She says Ser Jamie sent her. Says she's the wet nurse."

"Yes." Tyrion said softly, smirking at the man's confusion.

"He said I could bring my daughter." The girl whispered softly.

Brienne's head swung around to look at her, her raven black hair pulled off her face in two braided.

"Is she your only family?" Brienne asked, her voice hoarse. "Your only child?"

"The only one that survived." The girl whispered, looking down at her chubby toddler.

"Come." Brienne said quickly. "Come."

She returned her gaze back at Kings Landing, the air over it black. Her eyes clenched shut and she once again fingered the pommel of her sword.

"Tyrion." She whispered softly. "Take the baby."

"No My Lady." He whispered back. "I'm sorry but I can't allow you to do what you're thinking."

"By what authority-." She said stubbornly, her eyes never leaving the horrible sky.

"My brother needs you to live." Tyrion told her.

"I need him to-."

"He needs you to take your child and go from this place." Tyrion grasped her hand. "You are the one that restored his honor to him my Lady. Let him use it now."

She turned and looked at the other man, before looking down at the baby screaming in her arms.

"This child needs you." He continued softly. "Jamie's child."

Brienne touched the infants face before pulling the bundle to her throat, and pressing her lips to the tiny forehead.

"Come on My Lady." He coaxed, pushing at her hip. "You have to go."

She settled on the deck of the boat next to the girl and her daughter, Tyrion kissed her and the baby softly on the cheek before disembarking.

"What's your name?" She asked the wet nurse, her voice as formal as she could make it.

"Janali Waters." The girl whispered. "This is Amena."

"I'm Brienne." She looked back at the sky. "Ser Brienne of Tarth, wife of Jamie Lannister, Lady of Evenfall Hall and Casterly Rock."

"I didn't think women could be knights in this world." The girl said softly.

"This world has changed." She said simply, the baby's cries had quieted to a whimper almost as loud as the little girl in Janali's arms. Brienne looked the infant over carefully. "Do the need you to-?"

"No." She shook her head. "They're just scared. They just need us to hold them close. They needs their mothers." She pressed her head into her own daughters curls.

Brienne felt the tears sting her eyes as she laid the babe on her lap as she undid her armor, sipping it just far enough away from her body to fit the newborn inside.

"It's alright." She whispered, her fingers stroking the baby's tiny back. She whispered the words she'd whispered to Jamie not one day before. "I'm here. You're safe."

….

"If the bell rings the UnSullied will yield, but not the Dothraki." Tyrion told Arya urgently. "You should pull the Northern men back. We don't want them associated with this mess."

"They'll only listen to Jon." Arya shook her head wildly. "He's their king."

"He's all of ours King now." Tyrion sighed. "He's our only hope."

She walked towards him slowly, Bran's crow sat perched near his shoulder. Arya wished it could speak. She needed to talk to Sansa. Sansa would know what to say, how to push him. Instead she just stood there and waited for his eyes to move towards her.

"Tyrion says you should pull our men back."

"The unsullied will yield the Dothraki won't-." He repeated Tyrion's words.

"Our men Jon." She said sharply. "Remember!"

"The North Remembers!" He yelled back automatically.

"The North is all there is now. You are all there is now."

"Cersei-."

"Jamie Lannister has gone to kill her. The Hound has gone to kill the Mountain and the Kingslayer will add Queenslayer to his title. It is sibling against sibling here Jon, do you stand with us or not!" He turned his face towards her with a look of stunned betrayal. "I know what it's like to be No one. It's a lonely place." Her arm shot out and grabbed at his wrist. "You are a leader. A King. Lead now, Jon. Don't let father's sacrifice, Robb's sacrifice.. Rickon's, Theon's. be for nothing!" His face hardened and her eyebrows wrinkled tightly. "Winter has to end Jon." She pleaded. "Only you can end it."

He swallowed and she could see the fire reflected in his eyes before he gave a nod.

"Pull our men back!" He nodded to the Northern commander at his side, before he turned to Davos. "Get to Grey Worm, tell him that if the Dothraki don't yield at the bell they should take action to stop them."

"And what shall I tell them about their queen?" He asked calmly.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "Not until this ends." He turned back to his sister. "And if he can't ring the bell? What then?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "You're the King."

Jon couldn't help the sadistic laugh that bubbled out of him before he shook his head slowly as the Keep began to crumble above them.

…

"Light the left flank." Was the last thing Quburn said before the Hound killed him.

"You probably shouldn't." Sandor muttered to the young knight standing before him. The boy pulled his weapon and the other man turned to look at Jamie Lannister with an almost bored expression.

"I wouldn't do that." Jamie smiled. "It's not worth it." The kid looked conflicted. "Take off your armor and run before he kills you. There's no dishonor in not protecting a mad monarch."

He watched him hesitate before his sword clattered to the ground.

""No, Stupid take the sword, leave the armor." The boy grasped at the weapon while shaking off his breastplate and making a break for the door. "Tell your friends!" Jamie yelled.

"That was almost pathetically easy." Sandor snorted.

"It's what happens when you kill off all the good help." He gulped heavily as the building rocked. He reached for the paper the disgraced Maester had been holding and hissed at it before running into the hall and grabbing the arm of a passing servant.

"Ser Jamie." The man startled.

"Would you like to both live and become rich?" The man's eyebrow rose. "I need you to take this. Give it to the first Northerner you see. They'll be wearing furs even though it's hot as fuck out there. Tell them to take this to their king. Can you do that, or do I have to have Ser Sandor here kill you?"

"Give it to the furs." The man nodded.

"Tell them to find Tyrion Lannister, he'll pay you." Jamie pat the man on the back and turned back to the Hound.

"Where?" He looked around the map room.

"I'm guessing the nursery." Jamie said grimly, swallowing against the bile in his throat.

"Let me." The Hound told him with an unexpected gentleness.

"It should be me."

"Ring the bell." He told Jamie. "You be the hero. Let me be the villain."

And for the second time in his life, Jamie Lannister made a choice that wasn't his sister.

…..

Tyrion heard the bells as they marched to the Gate of Kings Landing, his eyes sinking shut for just a moment. They waited in the silence as the collective clink of swords hitting the ground filled the smoke filled air.

Jon gave him a wiry smile before nodding.

"You finally did something right you idiot." He whispered to his brother. "Now live."

"Lower your weapons!" Jon was yelling up the line. "Let them yield!"

Tyrion reached out to stop the small group of Northerners who remained with Jon.

"You are the Kings Gaurd now." He told them firmly. "Let him lead, let him be seen, but let no harm come to him." They glanced at each other before one of them turned back to Tyrion with a resolute nod.

….