Oh, I have loved writing this chapter, I almost did not want to stop... but here you go. And thank you all again so much for the reviews! It's great to see how excited you guys get with the direction the story is going. And as promised, in this one will be the first glimpse of the infamous Lord Snow ;)
In the distance, the shores of Dorne were calling to Samaya. She stood at the deck, leaning over the side of the Greyjoy ship that had taken her all the way back to Westeros. Someone joined her on the railing, but Sam did not have to look to know it was Daenerys.
"Tell me about your husband," she started speaking in a quiet voice. Sam smiled fondly.
"He was different than any man I had met before. There was an intensity to everything he did, but he was so light-hearted at the same time. I was drawn to him from the beginning, and he offered to teach me. From then on, he became my protector and my confidant. He was the first one I ever told about my true identity," she answered her sister.
"What did he teach you?" the other girl asked further.
"Everything. Weapons, fighting, diplomacy. The secrets of the bedroom. He knew me so well, even though we had not met a long time before. When he told me he was going to marry me, I punched him in the face. But after some time… I realised it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me," Sam said, fighting tears at the thought of his kindness and charm.
"I am sorry that you did not have more time together. I know what it feels like to lose the man you love. Every day, I ask myself what I could have done to keep him with me longer," Daenerys told her, and Sam could see that she, too, was fighting the grief. She took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"It might not be much comfort, but the Gods have plans for all of us, Daenerys. There is nothing we could have done to change any of what happened. Our stories are written even before we first open our eyes, and all we can do is to do the best with the time that is given to us," she comforted her. Daenerys swallowed hard before giving her a small smile.
"I think this is the first time I ever realise that you are my older sister. You have your share of wisdom. I ought to listen to you more often," she said and Samaya laughed loudly.
"Oh, I was not the one to liberate cities and conquered foreign lands. I really do not think you should listen to any of my advice when it comes to politics. But matters of the heart, dear sister, that is where we can listen to each other," the older girl said with a lively glint in her eyes. Daenerys laughed with her, and together they stood, watching the shores of the land that only one of them called her home.
After a few more days at sea, their fleet finally reached Daenerys' ancestral home, Dragonstone. Samaya was glad to step off the ship and onto dry land again, though she did not like how close to King's Landing they were. She had never been to Dragonstone before, and looked at the massive castle in awe. Her sister was slowly walking up the beach, staring in the same manner. There was a sense of excitement in the air, but also one of danger. They all knew that by her setting foot on this continent, times of war would be ahead of them. They just hoped it would not last a long time.
Having climbed up the steep steps to the castle, the two sisters stood in front of a massive stone gate, decorated by stone dragons on both sides. Sam put her hand to the material, and she swore it was warm, not cold as she had expected. It seemed to vibrate, and she wondered if it was just her, or if it felt like that to everyone.
She followed Daenerys into the castle, and soon, they found themselves in front of the throne room. The massive door was pushed open to reveal a chair so much more beautiful than the Iron Throne. Samaya wondered what the dark, shiny material was that it was made out of. It seemed almost fluid, and black in a few places, but smoky in others. It took her a moment to realise there were people waiting for them. To her surprise, her grandmother was among them. Samaya smiled and quickly closed the distance between the two. She flung her arms around the old woman before she could even speak.
"I was not sure I'd ever see you again, grandmamma. Oh, what a joyous day!" she said and let go of her. Her grandmother though, was not smiling. There were tears in her eyes, something Samaya had very rarely seen on her.
"What's wrong?" she asked immediately.
"Oh, my beloved grandchild. They killed them. Everyone but Willas and Garlan. They killed them all," the woman answered, tears now flowing freely down her withered cheeks. Sam froze. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. A hand touched her shoulder, but she could not move. Her gaze was fixed onto her grandmother, who at this moment, looked the smallest she could possibly be.
"No… how?" she finally managed to say after the initial shock had subsided.
"Your father and mother had travelled to King's Landing to attend the trial of Ser Loras and Queen Margaery. They were all in the Great Sept of Baelor, when Cersei used wildfire to blow it all up. Everybody who was inside perished," a voice she faintly recognised as Varys' spoke. The hand on her shoulder squeezed in a comforting manner, but Sam could still not move. Suddenly, her legs gave out and she fell to the floor. Limp as a rag doll, she kneeled on the ground, her arms hanging to the side, and her head bowed. Silent tears were dripping on the floor, the only sound in the room their soft splashes as they hit the ground.
Samaya did not know for how long she wept like this, but at one point, strong arms slid around her and she was lifted from the cold floor. She could do nothing as she was carried away, her head was buried in the man's chest, sobs still violently shaking her whole body. She was set down on a soft bed when she finally looked up to see Greyworm hovering over her. Behind him stood Missandei.
"Thank you," Sam said feebly before closing her eyes again. Her sweet sister… her dear brother… dead in the name of Cersei's madness. And her parents… the man who had always showered her with love, and the woman who had given her life. Samaya felt sick at the thought of a world without them.
"Is there anything I can get for you, Lady Samaya?" she heard the soft voice of Missandei.
"No, I wish to be alone," she replied after a few moments, her eyes still closed. She heard the two people retreating and a heavy door closing behind them.
After laying there for a long time, thoughts whirring through her head like moths around a flame, Samaya made a decision. Death was too good for Cersei Lannister. No, she would take away everything that Cersei had ever loved, and make her watch as her whole life crumbled to pieces around her. Yes, that was what she was going to do. She would destroy her mind, body and soul.
High above the castle, a dragon was roaring with anger.
Jon Snow awoke with a jolt. Panting heavily, he realised that he was covered in cold sweat. It took him a moment to remember where he was. It was his old room in Winterfell. After they had taken the castle back, everyone had insisted he stay in his father's old chambers, but Jon felt much more comfortable here.
Groaning, he put his head in his hands. He had vision dreams before, but not like that. Usually, they were wolf-dreams, where he followed Ghost through the forest, joining him on the hunt. This dream… it had been different. He was not in the body of a wolf, but something much bigger, much more dangerous. He was soaring above a massive castle, surrounded by steep cliffs and wild waters, and he was angry, so angry. Jon took a few more breaths before he let realisation sink in. It had been a dragon. He had seen through the eyes of a bloody dragon. What did this mean? Had Daenerys Targaryen set foot in Westeros?
His whole body was still alight with anger, and Jon got up to splash his face with water. The cold liquid was welcome on his clammy skin, and he closed his eyes to compose himself.
What in the seven hells did this mean? Why would he dream about a dragon? And why was the beast so angry? All questions he did not really have an answer for.
Outside, the dark of the night was slowly replaced by the light of the day, even though lately, the sun had lost its warmth in the North. Jon walked to the window and gazed down on the land. He knew why the sun had become colder, he knew what was coming for them. Winter, and all those that followed it…
Daenerys' head was aching. There were so many people who were telling her what to do… she did not know if their intentions were noble, or if they were just trying to save their own skin. Her confrontation with Varys had already taken a toll on her nerves, and now, the Red Woman was not making it any better.
After both her and Tyrion spoke on behalf of this Jon Snow, she was intrigued… He did sound like quite a man, and a man who hated Cersei Lannister was her friend. Especially after what she did to Samaya's family…
"Very well. Send a raven North," she told them her decision. Tyrion and Melisandre both smiled at that, but a figure stepped out of the shadows at the same time.
"Why send a raven if you can send a dragon?" Samaya spoke up. Daenerys' raised a brow at her sister's bold statement. She had visited her in her chambers, where the girl had hidden away these past few days. She had expected to find a shell of Samaya, overcome with grief, but that was not at all what greeted her.
Samaya had gathered maps of Westeros, which were put out over the floor in her room. She was not sad, she was not grieving. Sam was furious. There was a coldness in her eyes, a glint of unspeakable ruthlessness. But after long talks, Daenerys understood that Samaya was not in danger of turning mad. She was planning her revenge, and it would be a big one.
"What are you proposing?" she asked her sister now. Sam smiled cunningly.
"Northerners are not likely to bend the knee, they will only do so if the threat is real, or the power much bigger than theirs. Write a letter, hand it to me, and I will fly North on Rhaegal. I believe that only when they see a dragon will they realise that if they do not join, they burn," she explained. Daenerys' brows furrowed.
"I have no intention of burning them. I want to work with them," she stressed once more. If she was to be successful in her conquest of this land, she could not do like her forefathers did. She had to show that Targaryens could also be kind.
"I know you do. That's why I am proposing this. Let them see the power you have. Let them come to you out of admiration, not fear," Samaya argued. Daenerys mulled it over for a few moments. She was not fond of the idea of sending one lone dragon away, but she knew that Sam would not let anybody hurt him. The bond between the two had grown stronger still, she was wondering if he even loved her more than his own mother at this point. However, she was not so sure that no harm would come to her sister.
"Why do you think they would even let you enter Winterfell? Who says they won't shoot you at sight?" she voiced her concerns.
"Your Grace, the Starks of Winterfell are honourable people. They would not shoot at an unarmed woman. Much less if she just stepped off a dragon's back…" Tyrion came to Sam's defence. The Queen looked at them both long and hard.
"Very well. I will write the letter. Samaya, you will leave with Rhaegal as soon as the ink is dry. Be safe," she said and watched a huge grin break on Sam's face.
Her travelling attire was beautiful. Samaya looked with awe at the woman in the mirror. Her sister had ordered them new garments from the seamstress, hers in silver, whereas Samaya's were black. She did not know whether it was because of the recent deaths in her family, or because it made her eyes pop, but she loved it in any case.
The leggings were thick and tight, with a blood-red seam going down both outsides. The bodice had ripples in the soft satin fabric, reminiscent of dragon's scales. The heavy cloak that covered it was as dark as the night, but as soft as a kitten's fur. Sam could not stop stroking it. One of the handmaidens had braided her hair, which had grown so much in the last few moons. Left and right of her face were tight braids, guiding the strands away from her eyes, whereas the back was untouched, and hair flowing freely down her neck. Sam even thought herself beautiful for a brief instance, something that did not usually happen to her.
A knock distracted her from her own image, and she gave permission to enter, expecting it to be the letter she was being sent to deliver.
"Well, well, well… now I know why he fell in love with you. A bastard Targaryen. Of course Oberyn wanted you," a mocking voice sounded, and a cold shiver ran over Sam's skin. Slowly, she turned around to see Ellaria Sand standing in her room.
"Why are you here? I have nothing to say to you," she spoke to the foreigner. Ellaria huffed and walked closer.
"Oh, but I have things I want to say to you. The things I blame you for, the reasons why I hate you. All of this anger, bottled up inside of me. You came and took him away. And now he's gone. Forever gone," the older woman said, every word tainted with menace.
"You knew him better than anybody. You knew he could not have been stopped. I pleaded with him not to fight, but he did not listen. I loved him too, you know?" Samaya replied, careful to keep a good distance between her and the woman.
"It does not matter to me what you feel. Oberyn was mine, and you and that Lannister bitch caused his downfall. I made her pay already, but you… oh, I have to be cautious with you. Precious little Samaya, the Queen's sister… but do not worry, I am very patient," Ellaria threatened her. Sam felt a slight panic arise insider her. She had no weapon on her, the precious dagger teasing her from her nightstand, which was too far away.
"What did you do to Cersei?" she asked, hoping to buy time. The two women were circling each other, constantly moving, and she hoped to position herself closer to the weapon.
"I did nothing to her. But I killed her darling girl, Myrcella," Ellaria answered and Sam's mouth fell in shock.
"That girl was sweet and naïve! Why would you do that? She never brought any harm to you!" she almost screamed at the woman.
"True. But her mother did, and she needed to pay. A lot of things have changed in Dorne, you see. I am in charge now, and there is nothing anyone can do about it," the dark woman answered in a menacing tone.
Thankfully, there was another knock on the door, and Tyrion entered with a scroll in his hand. He stopped in his tracks as he observed the scene before him.
"Bad time?" he asked in a light tone.
"Oh no, Lord Tyrion. Perfect time, I was just leaving," Ellaria said sweetly and moved to the door. Before she exited, she turned around once more and looked Samaya in the eyes.
"Do not forget: I can be very patient," she said and left. Samaya groaned loudly and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Come now, Lady Sam. Ellaria Sand might threaten you whatever way she wants, but you will be too far away for her to hurt you," Tyrion tried to comfort her as he stretched out his hand with the scroll. Sam took it and inhaled deeply. He was right, she would be far out of that woman's reach.
"Let us just hope she does not plan on poisoning me. That can be arranged from a distance," she told him as they started walking. Sam picked up a small bundle she had prepared for her travels on the way out of the room.
"Oh, I think you will be safe up North. I'm pretty sure any poison would freeze there," the small man answered cheerfully and Sam had to laugh. Together, they descended various steps and staircases, until at last they were in the open. At the edge of a cliff, Sam could see Rhaegal and Daenerys, who was stroking his snout tenderly.
"Keep each other safe," the Queen said as they neared. Samaya smiled re-assuringly and gave her sister a hug.
"We will. I just hope you do the same. And please look after my bow. I am leaving it here, since I do not want to look a threat when approaching Winterfell," she said and gave her sister a pleading look.
"Of course. Send word about what happens. I do hope you won't be gone long," Daenerys said and they shared a look. They both knew there was no way of saying what was in store for Sam when she reached the North. They just both hoped that Tyrion was right, and she would be welcome.
After some more words of farewell, Samaya climbed on the back of the dragon, and off they went. He flung himself down the cliff, but soared up high into the sky a few moments later. Sam's breath caught in her throat for an instance. She had almost forgotten how good it felt to be on the back of a beast, soaring through the air. Hopefully, he would take her where she needed to go…
Please leave a review if you liked it ;) Next chapter coming very soon! xx