On Stranger Tides
By Ophiras
Kingslanding was thoroughly impossible to get used to, no matter how much time passed he would always long for cold winds and grey skies.
'I never thought I would leave the wall, much less the north…even in my wildest dreams I never considered something like this.' He never wanted it either. Nearly his whole life Jon had wished to be a trueborn son. 'And now I just wish I were Ned Stark's bastard son again…'Even now in technicality he was just the baseborn son of another man, one he had never known.
Aegon was nice, but he was not Robb nor could he ever be. There was a distance between them kept by the unspoken knowledge that it had been Jon's mother who had led to the undoing of their father, to the destruction of the life Aegon could have had. 'It is a distance that no matter how hard she tries Dany cannot compel us to close.' Not anymore than she could bridge the gap between herself and Aegon.
Nor could she force him to stop being Jon and start being Jaehaerys. Fur was not so easily exchanged for scaled hide in the end. His father or not, Ned Stark was the only parent he had ever known. 'And yet I cannot escape my blood.' The only time he ever felt even half a Targaryen was when he graced the back of Viserion, the wind screaming past him as they cut through the air.
It was also the only time he felt truly free so far south. The sweltering, stinking heat of the city, and the grasping, clawing courtiers felt like chains. 'And yet, I have duties here.' Jon thought grimly. He could run, he could flee North and go home. 'But there is good I can do the Starks here yet, even if I cannot be one in name.' that desire kept him bound here—and perhaps some part of him wanted to know the family that could have been his in another life.
There were seven members as expected, yet Jon could not help but question some of those who had been appointed. 'Naharis for instance, is it really appropriate to put your lover in the position of safeguarding your life?' at best it was a terrible conflict of interest, at worst it left her vulnerable to betrayal.
In truth, many of those most capable had died and Dany had been left to fill the positions with those available. If Ser Barristan Selmy or even the unsullied known as Grey Worm had lived, they surely would have taken the position in Daario's place.
Only just recently had he himself been tasked as the Master of laws. 'And I often wonder if it was out of actual aptitude on my part, the inability to find anyone more suitable, or even just another ploy to make me feel beholden to hear.' No matter which it was Jon found little joy in his post, though he honored and labored to do right by it if only for the smallfolk who would suffer the most if he failed.
Tyrion Lannister had retaken the position of Hand a choice that Jon could not argue with except for personal reasons. He could never forgive the Lannisters for that they had done to the Starks. 'How Sansa lets Jaime of all people serve as a guard is beyond me.' She had more reason than any of them to want every Lannister dead, yet she'd pardoned the one handed man, going as far to allow him to stay by her.
Marwyn served as the Grandmaester, and yet sometimes Jon wondered if he was not better suited to the realm of whispers. Instead that task fell to a young Man named Alleras who had also studied at the citadel around the same time as Sam. 'and yet even Sam seems to know little of him…The sphinx is an apt name for one who is more then they seem...'
Massendei took on the role of Coin in addition to a myriad of other things she did for the Queen. She was always busy for one so young.
To be Master of Ships fell to Aegon—he did well in the post after spending nearly a lifetime at sea but it was little consolation for the crown he felt had been stolen from him.
Before them on the table sat the reason for their gathering; It was a terribly long missive, several pages in length. Sansa's normally neat and perfectly spaced writing was slightly cramped together in some places in an attempt to save room for more words. He grieved for her wrist; for Jon was sure it ached by the end of writing it all.
"It is not beyond the realm of possibility that there are lands unknown to us…The farthest that has ever been sailed in the Sunset Sea is to the Lonely Light." Aegon's eyes were alight with the very prospect, shifting through the papers until he came across the map that Sansa had copied with her own hands. The known world to them just the day before had consisted of Westeros, Essos, Sorthoyos,Ulthos and numerous islands. 'And even much of what we know is yet unmapped.' He thought, pondering the prospects of it all.
Jon recalled that there had once been a Brandon Stark known as the Shipwright who had tried to sail across the Sunset Sea only to never return again. 'His tomb in the crypts is empty, and his son burned all the ships.' It was the last time the Starks and the North by large had any force at sea until just recently. 'And even now its numbers are few and slowly growing.'
"And yet if her letter is to be believed they did not come from the Sunset Sea, but the Shivering one." Dany remarked at last, turning from the window she had been glancing through.
"Even that has been much unexplored, people have long feared to go beyond the wall whether by land or by Sea." Aegon spoke. "Beyond the cold water and the dangerous ice that lurks in it, who knows what else is there."
"You doubt her word?" Jon did not look away when faced with her disapproval. 'I will not parrot back only the things you wish to hear.' His stony expression spoke his thoughts.
"What cause do I have to do otherwise?" Dany tossed back, temper rising. "She tells us what she wants, when it pleases her to do so." It was a constant source of utter frustration. "This could just be one of her little ploys."
"She is particularly good at rooting out spies." Alleras's breath whispered, perhaps in admiration or frustration. 'Not to mention planting her own it seems.'
Tyrion laughed and gestured towards the stack of papers. "I think that this is a bit too...detailed to be a fabrication of her making. Even more importantly, what would she gain from it?"
"What was the point in her telling us?" Daario barely suppressed a yawn. "None of it makes any sense to me."
'I doubt anything besides fucking and killing makes much sense to you.' Tyrion thought, clearing his throat. "Well, if I had to make a guess I would assume that the possibility of a beautiful, near immortal race of beings, strong beyond measure trying to storm the lands of Westeros is a bit...familiar, wouldn't you say so? She's no doubt covering her bases."
A barely suppressed flinch found its way to Jon's burnt fingers at the thought.
"Point taken." The former sellsword fell silent. It felt as though the whole room had plunged in temperature at the mere mention of the creatures.
"Terribly fascinating these elves are." Marwyn stated at last, his smile unveiling his red stained teeth.
Jon did not want to know what thoughts made the strange man grin so.
Tyrion snorted. "I'm rather more interested in the dwarves. Do you think I would be considered comely by their standards?" he questioned the young girl at his side, rewarded by the vaguest of twitches at Missandei's lips.
"They aren't your sort of dwarf." Jon sighed, wondering if there would ever be a time Tyrion could reframe from making jokes. 'Besides I think you are short even by them.'
"Close enough, we're both short. They like mining, I happen to own mines." Tyrion shrugged from across the table. "I'm sure we would get along splendidly."
"It's very much desired that I be able to speak to these poor wayward souls. There is much we could learn from one another if given the chance." The Grandmaester tapped his heavy fingers upon the table top, thoughts buzzing.
"Send for them." Daenerys demanded, . "I should see them with my own eyes, rather than some letter."
This time Jon could not hide his grimace. "It's a bit too late for that. The letter is dated more than few moons ago…and there is a bit by the end, where she says she's seeing them off..."
To her credit, his aunt did not fly into a fury though he saw the storm brewing in her eyes.
"As it is we're spread thin, the territories in Essos are insistent on trying to return to their old ways." Even years after conquering Mereen they still struggled; whenever her focus seemed to drift away from them towards more pressing matters they were sure to attempt an uprise.
Long had the Starks been a thorn in her side. They were the reason her blood had almost been completely wiped out. 'Them, the Baratheons and the Arryns.' Only bastards remained of the stags, the Arryns numbered one and the Starks still went on strong.
'Too strong.' Dany thought, scowling. If at any moment Sansa had the desire, she could take nearly half the kingdom with her. Her uncle in Riverrun would follow and the Arryn boy in the Vale would jump to it just as quickly.
"What right did she have to do so?!" The Queen snapped, pacing across the floor, silk rustling in her wake.
It was an unending duty, always having to be the voice of reason when it came to the Starks and Targaryens. So it was a relief whenever someone spoke on the subject before him. Jon almost sighed in relief.
"Considering the current...climate throughout the kingdom, we might be thankful she bothered to send word at all. We have not been generous with her ourselves." The wedge between North and South was a great one and much of it could be placed on them. 'Or more accurately the queen alone. My hands are clean of this. It was not me who offered Jon Winterfell a second time, before Sansa Stark's very eyes, as though it were some paltry gift to earn the affections of a child.'
It was a bitter slight to the Starks and the North at large one they would not soon forget. 'Nor will they forget the botched attempt to marry her off to some lesser, easily controlled lord as soon as Tyrion had the annulment finalized.' Instead his aunt has overstepped herself, driving a wedge between nearly half their dynasty.
"What need do I have to be generous with her?" Even here, where her will should be greatest Sansa Stark still seemed to hold sway. 'When will it be that this wheel is broken at last?' So often she felt like an outsider in the very place that was meant to be her home.
Before she had ever stepped foot upon Westerosi soil she has been so sure that the foes of her family would all be laid low and the people of Westeros would rejoice. ' The Baratheons are down to bastards, the Kingslayer hides behind that woman's skirt while his brother serves me, but out of them all the Starks flourish best. Even the Arryns are down to one sickly Youngman.' There was no justice in it.
Often did she wish the Others had taken Sansa Stark. 'She's certainly cold enough to be one.' Dany griped to herself. 'If I am fire, surely she is ice.'
In her most honest moments when her thoughts took hold over her and hindsight focused on her own actions Dany could see where her prejudice and actions had in part led to the growing drift between North and south. 'I should never have offered Winterfell to Jon, much less in front of her...' yet, even knowing that pride would not let go of Dany. 'I am a Queen and I will not bend before one less than I.' She was fire and the fate of ice was to melt before her heat.
If Tyrion had only remained married to her perhaps Sansa would be less of a foil and more of a boon, in truth the marriage had never been legal to begin with considering his first wife still lived. 'But it certainly would have been of better use to me.' Daenerys sighed.
"And what do you intend to so against such a slight? Raze half the kingdom? The moment we look away from Essos it will descend into chaos." Attempting to reestablish hold of the unstable territories in Essos left them vulnerable, and took up many of their resources.
'My life was as irreparably changed by the Starks as her own and yet I would not have enemies of them if it could be helped.' There was much he would do differently if things were set to right and his proper place had not been denied to him. "What does it matter if she sent them away or otherwise?"
"What if they come back? With soldiers the next time? We know nothing of them except what the wolf-bitch tells us, for all we can tell they might look towards an invasion." The knife Daario had been twirling in his hands had a very good chance of being used against him if Jon gave into the desire to leap over the table for his slight.
"Then I will burn them." Dany swore her eyes brighter than before.
Massendei who had been silent for much of the meeting spoke at last; "it's true that we are spread thin...but perhaps an ambassador or envoy of some sort might be sent? Nothing overly large of course."
"It's folly." Tyrion waved a hand dismissively. "They would have to brave uncharted waters, the perilous sea and all its storms...and provided they survive the long journey they would be stuck in a foreign land outnumbered and alone, bereft of any of that might be sent." He knew what much of that felt like. "I would surely pity whatever soul received such a task."
If he only could have known his words would spur what was to come he might never have said them, for a terrible, wonderful thought began to roost in Daenerys' head. "or perhaps it would be seen as an honor." She said smiling slowly, for at last she saw the dawn to her problem. "See if you cannot piece together the course they took from Lady Stark's words." She ordered Marwyn before dismissing herself from the council room.
The way to break the hold Sansa Stark held over the kingdom while keeping her own hands clean had at last presented itself and she could barely contain herself. Without her, the Tullys and the Arryns would be lost and her own way would be clear. 'At best, she dies at sea, at worst she wastes away in some foreign land…' Either way it would be advantageous to her.
'But if she refuses?' The niggling doubt arose the more Dany entertained the idea. 'If I give her an ultimatum she cannot refuse or will not risk rejecting…she will comply in the end or risk another war.'
If one thing pleasant could be said of Sansa Stark, it was that while she was a capable leader and though she delicately toed the line of fealty and defiance, dancing around true commitment one way or the other there was something she valued above all else. Something Dany knew she would not risk, even if it meant her own misery.
Her family.
Thank you all so much for your interest! Much appreciated.