The Witch Queen of Essos
Tyene: Those are the rebellion blueprints?
Wanda: Yeah. No matter how careful one is, even if Bran doesn't fall and break his spine, Robert still turned Westeros into a sizzling pot waiting to boil over. And considering how reckless he is regarding a certain Targaryen Princess, well...things are bound to get messy.
Tyene: (snorts) Men.
Wanda: I do not own Game of Thrones or Harry Potter.
Chapter 7: Both sides of the ocean
Lyanna and Rhaegar were both asleep when Lillian and Jon returned to Meereen; they had both competed in a tourney and were quite tired because of it. So the two were spared a haranguing until the next morning.
During breakfast, Lillian cracked and confessed to where Rhaenyra had taken them. Predictably, Lyanna erupted over the danger they had put themselves in and how they should have been more careful.
Surprisingly, Rhaegar almost looked amused. "Rhaenyra did fly off of them," He reminded his wife. "I'm impressed you gave the Kingsguard the slip, Jon."
"I mostly got lucky." Jon said sheepishly.
Ginny chuckled before taking another gulp of water. "How was Winterfell?"
"Beautiful," Jon responded instantly. "Winter will be on them soon, but it has a rugged expanse that stretches as far north as you can see. It has a beauty all its own – it looks very different from the south, and here. I wish I could have seen more."
"You will in time." Ginny said. "Quite soon, if I'm not mistaken."
Rhaegar nodded. "I've gotten another update from Varys. It's only a matter of time before Robert sends men after the lot of us – especially you, Jon."
Lyanna growled a few choice words in old Valyrian, causing Sirius to whistle and Rhaegar to send her an impressed sideways look. Daenerys looked between Viserys and Emily, concern plain on her face. Aegon twirled his knife, as if imagining plunging it into Robert's throat.
"Shall we send their heads back by package, or shall I have Visenya drop them behind the walls?" Rhaenys asked coolly, placing a comforting hand on little Ginerva's shoulders when the girl started shivering.
Ginny said nothing for a moment. Then she looked at Sirius.
"It's all prepared." Sirius informed her. "I'll remain behind at first, but if you need my help Missandei will take over and I'll join you. We'll keep this place running like a well oiled machine while you run the campaign overseas."
"Good." Ginny said. "Rhaegar, you should send word to Doran Martell. Ask him to house us at Sunspear. Tell him the Dragon is coming home."
"We're going to Westeros?" Dany asked eagerly.
"Yes." Ginny responded. "It's time. It will take a few days for us to organize everything – then we'll consult with Doran and Oberyn to see what our best course of action should be. Also, Doran will see to it that Ginerva and Daemon remain safe."
Rhaenys smiled down at her half sister. "You hear that, Gin? We're going to father's homeland."
Daemon and Ginerva exchanged grins at this. They had heard all sorts of stories from Lyanna about their home and were eager to have a look around. Ginerva really liked her honorary uncle Oberyn – she had started sending him letters a few months ago when she found Rhaenys writing to him.
"I can't wait to meet Nymeria," Ginerva said eagerly. Rhaenys grinned at the mention of one of her uncle's bastard children – she had a close friendship with Tyene Sand herself. Nymeria acted more as a cool distant cousin; Jon liked her, as did Lillian, Dany and Daemon.
Lyanna stood from the table. "Dany, we should saddle the dragons." While Dany was the favourite, the dragons had become quite affectionate towards Lyanna and allowed her to saddle them without any fuss.
Daenerys hopped off her chair and hurried after her. Rhaegar called for a servant to clear the table before nodding at the rest of his children. "Prepare for travel."
**At Winterfell, a few days later**
"A raven came for you, Lord Eddard." Maester Luwin informed the brooding Lord of the North, who was currently standing in his castle watching his son Robb tutor Bran in the art of swordfighting. "It bears two letters from Essos."
Eddard started and turned to face him in surprise.
He had been mulling over the shock caused by the dramatic ending to Robert's visit. He had initially given Lyanna up for dead after the rebellion, until Ser Jamie Lannister of all people filled him in on what had truly happened that night.
The wandering former Kingsguard member was drinking in a bar and got in a fistfight with one of Lord Karstark's sons, resulting in both of them being hauled before the Starks. Once that misunderstanding was cleared up, Jamie told him about the witch girl, Ginny, who had saved his sister and spirited her away.
Eddard had neglected to send her a raven, knowing that it would be seen as treason to Robert, and suffered in silence over the loss.
Then the two dragons had flown over the castle, followed by the appearance of the black haired boy who first claimed to be a bastard.
His niece and nephew. They were the reason Eddard requested to Robert that he delay his journey to King's Landing. The boy, Jon, was a polite and well spoken boy – Arya certainly took a liking to him. He hadn't seen them as children, hadn't seen them grow up. He had missed a lot.
Eddard wished he had refused Robert's offer to become Hand now. He knew that Robert would sooner put Jon and Lillian to the sword before he accepted the existence of children Lyanna had by another man – especially Rhaegar Targaryen. The Lannisters, the Barantheons and other supporters of Robert's reign would likely see them as threats.
But how could he stand aside while men plotted the murder of his family, his blood?
Eddard accepted the letters with a quiet thank you and retreated to his chambers to read them in private.
He opened the first one; he recognized Lyanna's writing on the cover.
My dear brother;
I wish to first say, I am so very sorry to have caused you and our family such grief. I don't regret my choice on principal, but I realize now how ill timed it was in retrospect. I would have given myself up in an instant if I had guessed what mad old Aerys had in store for our father and brother. I grieve for them, I do.
Now that my beloved but exceptionally reckless children have revealed themselves to you, I suppose there's no hiding it. I never loved Robert Ned, nor could I have ever come to love him! I recognize who he was to you, but I would have been naught but property to him! He would not have been faithful to me; I would have been shut up in a small room, allowed to do nothing but give birth. I cannot justify my recklessness, running when I did, but I reject being sold like a brood mare to a man I do not love.
Rhaegar did not kidnap me, Ned. He did not rape me. He didn't force me to do anything. He loves me, Ned, and I love him. It is not under duress that I have given him children, I lay with him because I love him. I have since the before the tourney where he crowned me.
We...we planned to run away together just after that. Rhaegar told me of the plan he and his supporters, such as Lord Connington, to unseat his father. Even his family knew what a monster he was. If madness hadn't made Aerys unpredictable, Rhaegar would have taken him in the night and imprisoned him in Dragonstone for the remainder of his life.
I understand if you feel betrayed Ned. I hope you are willing to forgive me, but if you don't...please, do not bring that anger down on my children. They want to meet you, Ned, sometime...if you're willing.
All of my love,
Lyanna.
Eddard wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring at his sister's letter as her words spun around his head. He had gone to war thinking his sister had been kidnapped, but all along she had been in love with the Bard Prince. He did not emerge from this trance until he realized there were tears on the page now.
His sister was alive.
Quickly and tenderly, Eddard placed the letter on the desktop to avoid smudging the ink. Taking a breath to steady himself, he turned his attention to the second letter. It had the Targaryen seal on it. With some trepidation, he opened it and began to read.
Hail Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.
I understand that of all people to send you letters, I must be one of the least welcome. But I beseech you to hear me out regarding the fates of your father, brother and sister – and the reason I will be returning to Westeros.
When Brandon Stark and Rickard Stark were captured, I confronted my father and told him to release them – their only crime was worrying for their sister/daughter's fate. Aerys refused, and we nearly came to blows – in the end, I swore that if he tried to harm either of them, I would come to their defence and act as their champion. Aerys pretended to relent, but he had a servant sedate me at dinner and locked me in my chambers. When I came to, he had killed them both. Were it not for the rebellion, I would have taken his sentence up myself.
I'm sure Lyanna has already written as much, but I did not kidnap her. On the lives of my children, I did not abduct her. I love her passionately and I would never harm her. Jon and Lillian are our legitimate children – I married her after we settled in Essos.
Robert undoubtedly hasn't taken our children's existence well. My family is on our guard for assassins as I write this. However, I want you to know that when we land in Westeros, it is not because I am seeking vengeance upon those who displaced my family from the throne.
My family has been haunted by a prophecy for several generations now. "The Prince Who is Promised. His song shall be of Ice and Fire." When it came to me, I read everything I could regarding it, and I came to some very alarming conclusions. A catastrophe is coming, Lord Stark. Your House words are, "Winter is Coming". The Fire in the prophecy is the return of the dragons...I believe that the 'Ice' is the return of the Others – the White Walkers.
Elia new about the prophecy. She approved of my marriage to Lyanna; she believed that the Prince would be borne to her. I am not certain myself, I hold all my children in equal esteem. But if Winter is coming, we need to prepare.
I understand that Robert is your friend, but you must know, he is not a good king. The Lannister's influence of the throne will have catastrophic results if the pressure on the kingdom continues as it is. A war even more brutal than the Rebellion – kin to the Blackfyre Rebellions and the Dance of Dragons – could ravage the land should the chips fall as they are poised to. Should that come to pass, the White Walkers could destroy all of Man. All of Westeros will be lain in a grave.
Queen Ginny Gryffin d'Or is financing and preparing our return. She says that she intends to meet you – though she cannot say when. You will know when you see her.
I swear that I will bring no harm upon your House or the House of your wife should fighting break out, and that my children will shield your people in such emergencies.
Take care, Stark.
Rhaegar Targaryen
For a long moment, Eddard sat in silence, contemplating this. He knew another long Winter would fall upon Westeros before too long, but if half of what Rhaegar had written was true...
He had continued correspondence with his brother Benjen after he joined the Night's Watch. Benjen had reported that the Wall was undermanned, under equipped, and severely lacking in motivation and drive. Adding to that, they were constantly under assault from the Wildlings. Under such circumstances, they wouldn't hold the Others for long.
Eddard looked between Lyanna's letter and Rhaegar's. His old anger towards the Targaryen prince sizzled and burned down to nothing. He could not hate his sister. This new information caused him to see her supposed 'abductor' in a new light. While he was uncertain, he believed that they were telling the truth.
Eddard was wary of the Witch Queen, however well Lyanna or her husband spoke of her. To him, a witch meant a follower of the Lord of Light or someone equally dangerous. But if winter was coming, then he couldn't afford to be stubborn in choosing alliances.
In the end, Eddard folded the two letters and placed them inside his drawers. What Rhaegar said about Robert deeply disturbed him. He didn't want to believe his friend was falling so far. Now, more than ever, he had to accept the offer of becoming Hand and see how dire things really were in King's Landing.
**King's Landing**
"He still has Lyanna!"
Renly Barantheon had always been well aware of Robert's lust/borderline obsession with Eddard Stark's sister, but at this point he was beginning to worry that he would be sent to war against a family that had at least two living dragons to 'rescue' Rhaegar's second wife.
From what Renly gathered through the She Wolf's 'abduction' and palpable hated of her betrothal, he sincerely doubted Lyanna had been taken against her will – not without raising hell the entire way. More likely, she had wanted to be taken, with Rhaegar taking her virginity being her excuse for not marrying his brother.
Of course, Aerys had put paid to any of Rhaegar's plans to deal with the resulting political knot with tact, recompense and peace.
"We should have sent the men to kill the dragonspawn when they were still young. Damn me for ever listening to Jon Arryn!" Robert seethed. "Lyanna's been forced to bear the monster's children for years...! That girl must have her under a spell!"
The Small Council had been called to meeting when Robert returned from the visit to the North. News of the Targaryen children's re-appearance had spread like wildfire across the country in record time, though the news of the dragons was disbelieved by many.
Stannis Barantheon was equally furious to hear about this – hence why he was at the Small Council on one of his infrequent visits.. Though Tywin himself was not at the council, Renly bet that he would be the first to send men out to kill the former ruling family.
The Lannister patriarch had spent seventeen years nursing his hatred of the witch girl who had rescued the Targaryen family from the jaws of death. Not only had she blocked his attempt to clear away the claimants to the throne, but he was convinced she had bewitched his eldest son Jamie.
In the years following the rebellion, Jamie had begun to clash with his father more and more, to the point of a cold estrangement between them. Jamie had gained a sort of determined idealism that violently clashed with his father's cold pragmatism, and he had left the Kingsguard to travel the Seven Kingdoms seeking out those who needed his help. Last Renly heard, he had started working with a group called the Brotherhood Without Banners.
"Jon Arryn feared the girl's strength, Your Grace." Varys, Master of Whispers, tittered after a grumble went up among the Council.
"Are we going to call her 'the girl' forever?" Renly asked sarcastically. Whenever someone referred to 'that girl' in the capital since the Rebellion, everyone knew instantly who was being spoken of. "I don't suppose she has an actual name?"
Robert glared fiercely at his younger brother, while Varys chuckled slightly. "Indeed she does, Lord Renly. A name and a title, one she's built up over the last several years. Ginerva Griffin d'Or, The Witch Queen of the Kingdom of Essos, the Breaker of Chains; that's what my little birds call her."
"I don't care what they call her," Robert said angrily. "Send the ravens, tell her she must give up Lyanna Stark or face the consequences."
Varys, to Renly's surprise, gave Robert a severe look in response. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Your Grace. Ginerva is not some simple workers girl with nothing to offer the world. She is a Queen now, and she possesses all the same powers she had as a child. My little birds have whispered to me about how she united the Free Cities into this new kingdom. She destroyed the slave trade in mere years. And I doubt that the Targaryens themselves will be eager to give up their mother."
"Watch your tongue, Varys, or I'll have it removed." Robert threatened.
"For what? For telling you the truth?" Renly demanded. "Lord Varys has a point. We can't commit our bannermen to attacking a kingdom across the sea without first considering what might become of them! Griffin d'Or could hold an entire roomfull of men including you hostage with a snap of her fingers, and that was when she was just a girl! She's a woman grown now, and has the support of the Targaryens. And, we know that the family has at least two dragons!"
"Lord Renly speaks truly," Petyr Baelish smoothly offered up his opinion after Renly paused his rant. "Perhaps Lord Varys should tell us more about this Witch Queen before we jump to conclusions."
Robert snarled wordlessly at this, but upon the looks of the council he gestured for Varys to speak again.
"My thanks, Lord Renly, Lord Baelish." Varys said in his irritatingly soft voice. "Ginerva Griffin d'Or rules the lands that used to be the Free Cities. The kingdom itself stretches from Pentos to Volantis. It is a rich kingdom, and heavily populated."
"As for the Queen herself, she is beloved of all her people. They say she has houses built where beggars can go to eat without spending a single coin; she also has buildings where maesters tend to all injured who pass through the doors. She instructs the city watchmen and often wanders through the city itself to see how her people thrive. No child sleeps in the cold under her watch."
"Absolute loyalty..." Mace Tyrell mused. "A useful weapon for a monarch."
"As for her magic... Ginerva used it in great demonstration during her wars against the Slave cities. She can conjure fire, water, and stone, she can transform objects into anything she wishes, she can vanish and appear across great distances, and some even whisper she can transform into a great eagle. She has also trained in the Water Dance, and used a sword during the battle for Volantis. Her finesse is enough that she is able to duel Rhaegar to a standstill."
Cersei Lannister gripped the edge of her chair. She had insisted on being at the council, swinging her father's name at Robert until he allowed it. What stakes she had, Renly couldn't imagine. "You say she is beloved."
"Indeed, Your Grace." Varys said smoothly. "Her people claim she is the most beautiful woman in the world, though she remains unmarried to this day. She is highly spirited, her hair red as rubies and her body blessed by the Seven."
Renly's eyes narrowed. Cersei seemed to whiten a bit at this. Perhaps she was angered that some claimed there was one more beautiful than she.
"Her right hand, confidant and hatchetman is a man named Lord Sirius Black. Another sorcerer of her calibre, though his raw power is less than hers." Varys went on. "The man leads the city watch and deals with any crimes committed near the palace. He oversees the laws and has settled many disputes on the Queen's behalf. He has four children by a former slave woman, all of whom have close kinship to the Targaryens."
"The eldest, Emily, is like the Queen and Lyanna Stark in that she is a warrior woman. She inherited magic from her father, but she is also an archer and a crossbow user. She can climb like a spider up walls and buildings. She's fiercely independent and confident, and shares an intimate bond with Daenerys Targaryen. Her eight and tenth birthday was a few months ago; she is also unwed. Her three brothers are not old enough to hold a sword yet, though they are being trained by Rhaegar himself – they could become quite formidable if they reach manhood."
"Then there are the Targaryens themselves. After they escaped and lived in exile for years, their family dynamics seemed to have changed somewhat. The line of the Dragon, which has dwindled after the Blackfyre Rebellions and Aerys's reign, has become fruitful once again.
There is Rhaegar himself. The Bard Prince has kept up his skills since the days of the Rebellion; today he runs the Golden Company mercenary force. He also works in Ginerva's court, balancing finances and defending against any outside attackers."
"His younger brother, Viserys, has learned the Volantis fencing style. He has defeated challengers in several tourneys, remaining undefeated except for his nephews Aegon, who has unseated him, and Jon, who has disarmed him. He favours brute force in battle, preferring to overwhelm his opponents through sheer force."
"His sister, Daenerys, has started a branch of the Golden Company called the Third Head of the Dragon. This branch advocates knowledge, both from today's world and from Old Valyria; the Mad King's daughter is very well read. However, it also speaks out to women who wish to become warriors. They often function as the family's guard whenever travelling between cities. Daenerys herself is called the Mother of Dragons; she prefers a spear and shield to swords."
"Rhaenys Targaryen is also a member of the Third Head, though some whisper that she is learning the art of healing along with sword mastery. They say she greatly resembles her deceased mother, Elia Martell. She too has made her mark in public, having unseated both her brothers in a melee at one point in time."
"Aegon Targaryen takes after his father in many ways. He has learned the way of a leader and the way of a warrior; taking a two year term in the Golden Company under his father. They say he is armed with Blackfyre, his ancestral sword. His mercenary companions say he is charismatic, intelligent and well read – the Queen insists on tempering the skills of battle with knowledge."
Varys looked meaningfully around the room, watching the Small Council process this. Then he surged into darker waters. "My birds whisper that Lyanna Stark has borne Rhaegar four children thus far, though only two of them near adulthood – the two Your Grace and Lord Stark came across a few days ago."
"First there is Jon Targaryen. He forms a formidable unit with Aegon, Rhaenys and Viserys – he is the strategist of the siblings. Very interested in travelling; he oftentimes helps Daenerys in her search for Old Valyrian tomes and artifacts. He knows his way around a sword, but he has learned archery as well due to his younger sister."
"Lillian Targaryen is a very spirited archer – in some ways, she's quite like Eddard Stark's son Brandon. She likes to dance and sing, and has a strong sense of compassion. The Queen is quite fond of her, my birds whisper. Though of all her siblings, she likes battle and violence the least, preferring to take on more womanly passtimes."
"Younger than her are the family's newest editions, Ginerva and Daemon, Third of that Name. Both have been described as somewhat sickly; though they have all surpassed the maester's initial predictions about their lifespan."
"And they have at least two dragons." Renly finished. "Well, perhaps we should just pretend we didn't see them and hope Gryffin d'Or is satisfied ruling one kingdom."
"Unacceptable!" Robert roared. "I don't care if the Seven themselves function as the witch girl's guard. I failed to save Lyanna once...it won't happen again!"
Renly grimaced and shot his father in law Mace Tyrell a worried look. He couldn't see any way that this could end well.
End Chapter
Yeah, I'll set up a betting pool to see which of the loyalist houses and those aligned with the Targaryens explode first when this attempt goes through. The Martells will certainly be pissed.
Read and Review please!