My Kingdom Awaits Chapter 12
Jon paced in front of the tent; it was going on seven and ten hours that Sansa had been laboring their babe. Gilly promised all was going well; her pains were still to far apart. The babe was coming but in it's own time. He entered again when another low moan filled the air. Arya was still sitting behind Sansa whispering in her ear and Sansa was nodding and grimacing through her pains. He watched while she finally relaxed back and Sam lit another candle, timing the pains with how far the candle burned.
"They are closer Your Grace. The babe will here as the sun rises on the morrow." Sam said as Gilly checked. Jon noticed blood in the sheets and turned a ghostly shade of white.
'It's a normal amount." Gilly promised as she wet a cloth and wiped down Sansa's brow and allowed her to take small sips of water. Daenerys sat in beside the bed and was folding the few baby things Sansa had managed to make on their journey when it became clear they would not make it to Dragonstone or King's Landing for the birth. She clumsily worked on sewing a few more swaddling diapers, sure they would suffice, the babe would just be shitting in them. arya and Sansa continued to whisper to each other.
"Not today!" Sansa suddenly said sitting up in pain again and Sam and Gilly quickly checked and pushed Jon closer to Sansa head.
"Help Arya support the Queen, she can try pushing." Gilly order elbowing Sam out of he way. "Have the water heated, not to a scalding hot just warm so we may wash the babe and prepare a small dose of milk of the poppy. We do not want her to sleep, just to take some of the pain away for when I stitch her." Jon looked in horror.
"A Wildling birthing technique Jon, it prevents a lady from bleeding out. It may not be needed, but it provides great aid. Gilly will remove the stitches in 6 weeks time." Sam promised as he threaded needles and prepared compresses and set a few blankets close to the brazier to warm. Jon nodded and settled beside Sansa and kissed her brow and took her hand as he helped Arya support her as she braced herself and waited for Gilly's signal. Once Gilly nodded Sansa let out a silent scream as she bore down and pushed. Gilly held up her hand to stop her and reached under the blanket causing Sansa to grasp as she adjusted the baby.
"The head is clear and shoulders are now turned, give me one more strong push and I will have the baby out." Gilly said as Dany stood and went to the end of the bed and smiled with tears streaming down her eyes.
Sansa bit down and pushed hard causing Arya and Jon to grimace at the grip she had on their hands, and let out a sob as Gilly lifted a small wiggling bundle to her shoulder and smacked it lightly till it's cries filled the air.
'It's boy." She said handing the baby off to Sam who quickly wiped out his mouth and made sure his eyes, ears and nose were clear of fluids and went about cleaning and swaddling the baby. Sansa pulled Arya down and was whispering softly in her ear as Dany followed Sam and gazed at the baby. Gilly told Sansa to keep pushing and soon the afterbirth left her body and Gilly replaced the blankets underneath her so she could monitor how much she was bleeding. Arya rose from the bed and took the baby from Sam and brought him over to an awestruck Jon and a weeping Sansa.
"He looks like Rickon." Arya said, her faded memory of her youngest brother clear in her head. "With violet eyes." Sansa smiled as Jon helped her hold the baby who quieted in her arms.
"And no hair." Sansa whispered. Jon lowered his forehead to her shoulder to hide his tears. "His name Raemon, First of His Name, Heir to Iron Throne." Sansa said softly. Dany went to the entrance and gave a few orders in Dothraki. A few short minutes later she came back with a small box. "Viserys told me where in the Red Keep my father had hidden the last of these." She said as she opened the box. It contained 4 stone dragon eggs.
"My children were hatched from similar stones in The Great Grass Sea." She said as Sansa ran her had over them. Jon reached forward and was surprised that the eggs were so warm on a cool night. He laid the bluish egg with orange accents on his son's chest for a few moments and the baby looked up at his mother and blinked a few times.
"He has already bonded with Rhaegal but he may bring more dragons into this world." Sansa said softly as Sam pulled Jon to the side and explained that Sansa was doing fine and after a short rest she should be up and walking a bit.
"We should not move on for at least 2 weeks. She needs to heal more and an jostling for riding, even in a carriage or wave will not aid with the bleeding." Jon nodded and turned to Dany.
"You and Arya must go forth with the Northern forces and Dothraki. Protect Bran and Winterfell. Sansa and I will follow in 2 weeks time with the Unsullied and rest of the Armies and Dragons. We will forgo Dragonstone; I need to present my son to the God's Wood and the Heart Tree at Winterfell. Now all of you except Gilly and Sam leave. Arya have the men bring another sleep pallet in for them." Jon said as Gilly helped Sansa cover herself so the babe could nurse. "Try and find a wet nurse."
"No." Sansa said. "I have no need of one."
"He already is feasting." Gilly said as her body blocked the Queen to give her privacy. "The Queen seems to have milk to spare." She commented as the milk was leaking from Sansa's other breast as well. "If there is a need we will let you know." Arya pulled Jon to her on her way out and whispered in his ear, he nodded his consent and kissed her and Dany goodbye. "Send forth Ravens. Let the Realm know news." Jon said. "Sansa I will return shortly. There is a pitiful God's Wood here, and I want to give a quick thanks to the Old Gods." Jon said as he quickly left the tent. Brienne and Pod entered to guard while the King was gone. Jon quickly made his way to the tiny Weirwood and placed his hand on the trunk and waited listening to the leaves and the wind. "Bran are you there?" He asked softly. "What should we do?" Jon asked and waited. He smiled at the soft voice he heard among the leaves. "How?" Jon waited and received no answer save for a few crows flying above him. "I wait for your words to arrive." He said removing his hand and returning to his tent accepting the congratulations and offering rare smiles. He came to the prisoner. "I'm sorry you had to wait for your faith to be delivered." Victarion Greyjoy spit at his feet and tried to shift forward but his chains kept him tethered in place. "You know you are scheduled to die in the morning, how you die and how quickly depend on your answers to my questions." Jon said as he sat on a footstool and made eye contact.
"No so honorable now are you?" The Iron Captain spewed. "I thought yours was The Old Way."
"You will die from your head being separated from your massive neck, you'd be surprised what you can survive though." Jon said as Arya entered the tent with him. "Where are Euron and Cersei?" Victarion ignored him and eyed Arya and she laid out a few blades and small cloth sacks and glass jars from a bag she carried. She calmly picked up a small blade and slashed about his arm.
"That is your best shot? I do worse when I shave." Victarion roared with laughter until Arya jumped a powder on his arms that felt like Hell Fire on the cuts.
"Where are they?" Jon asked again. "Do they have more Wildfire? Where is Theon?" Victarion shook his head refusing to answer as sweat dripped from his body and his hand and arm started to turn black. Arya dumped a cup of water on his arm and moaned with relief. Jon nodded and she picked up another blade and cut off the shirt he wore and began lashing at his back. Arya pulled on a thick pair of leather gloved and opened a clay pot and removed a soaked cloth that reeked of rot, stuffing it down Victarion's throat. "I can't have you waking my babe or Queen. There are 5 hours till day light. How do you wish to spend them? Dancing with my sister or in peace before I send you back to the halls of the Drowned God?" Jon asked as Arya tossed another sack of powder against his back. He screamed through his gag as Arya fanned at his back, increasing his discomfort. She removed the gag and pulled his head back by his hair.
"The Fingers. They are all but abandoned. Theon and Yara are being help on ship along their cost. Euron and Cersei are not staying in anyone place, he is a master of the sea you will never find them—Ahhhh" He screamed as Arya tossed a jar of water that they had soaked peppers in, adding to his burning pain. "She has at least 3 more barrels of Wildfire." Jon shook his head and Arya began slashing again.
"You've only told me one truth." Jon said calmly. "I believe you, Cersei does likely still have Wildfire. But the Fingers are no longer abandoned. I have placed some loyal new Northern Lords in command there. It is too risky for them to be at sea and their army too large to move with ease."
"Not with Long Boats." Victarion said with a grimace. "Theon and Yara were executed for treason. Euron won the Kings Moat. He is our King. They feed the fish in the sea and are now cleansed by The Drowned God." Jon closed his eyes and dreaded having to tell Sansa and Dany about the deaths.
"Liar." Arya said. "Cersei Lannister feeds off the misery of my sister. She would not keep Theon's death a secret." Arya walked from the tent and returned with a whip and began inflicting lashes to his back.
"Theon is a walking disgrace to the Ironborn." Victarion said when Arya gave him an opportunity to speak. "He is hostage with his sister on Silence. I will not betray my King." He said closing his eyes and trying to withstand the torture. Arya abruptly began packing up her tools and Jon stood to leave.
"Gendry I'll need a block and gather my troops. It's time to for the King's Justice."
On a ship Sailing North a few days later.
"It seems your brother did not honor the silence you promised." Qyburn said with his usual smirk. Cersei rolled her eyes and held out her cup. It was filled with Euron's black strong wine and she continued to sip it, her lips taking on the same bluish hue of her new husband's.
"We knew there would be loses. Keep the crew vigilant about guarding the skies and keep the scorpions ready. What else were you able to learn on your trip into the port?" Cersei asked.
"The Little Bird has given birth to a healthy boy. "Raemon, first of his name." Qyburn said. "And Daenerys has returned and bent the knee. She rides a dragon again and has supplemented their armies with 100,000 more troops with more on their way from Yunkai. The Second Sons are still Loyal to the Mother of Dragons, waiting for word to sail to Westoros at her command."
"Perhaps we need to conquer another land before we reclaim my throne." Cersei said with an evil smile. "A mother's love is a powerful thing. Sansa will not rest until I am rooted from this earth. I doubt she would want her husband to follow me across the world."
"It could give us time to regroup." Qyburn said silently thrilled she had come to this conclusion on her own.
"It would be seen as a defeat. Do you think Tarly is willing to leave Westoros?" Euron said. "I am not the most feared man on the sea because I retreat."
"So we go forth with our plan. We attack once the Golden Company arrives on the shores of White Harbor." Cersei said holding her cup out again. "I did enjoy my tour of the North."