A/N: Sorry for the delay. Real life has just really caught up with me in many unpleasant ways. Also, I just have not felt like working on the story with all the knee pain. I think the result would have been awful if I tried to work during my first full week back at work though. I'm going out of town for a funeral tomorrow so I don't know when the next update will be. I'll try to make it sooner than this though. Anyway, GRRM still owns everything, I'm just writing for fun, not for profit, so don't sue because I don't have anything anyways. And thanks to my beloved beta letseatcake who told me I had better post before I go out of town.
Daenerys VII
As they rode in the boat into Riverrun, Dany heard cries of "Robb" and "Winterfell" and "Tully" and even "Daenerys." Dany tried to maintain a smile on her face as she waved, but the effort cost her and she knew it cost Robb too. She was happy that they had liberated Riverrun and won another victory, but she still could not believe that Eddard Stark was dead. It made Robb's victories bittersweet. After all, freeing Lord Eddard was the main reason that they marched south.
As they passed under the walls and beneath an arch, Dany saw the guards of Riverrun and a man with auburn hair dressed all in blue and red that she assumed was Robb's uncle, the recently freed Ser Edmure Tully. When Ser Edmure spotted them, he commanded his men to bring their boats in and the guards stepped down into the water to oblige. Grey Wind vaulted out of their boat first, startling the guards, she heard Theon laugh about it as he assisted Lady Catelyn out of her boat. Robb lifted Dany into his arms and carried her to shore as though she weighed nothing at all.
Ser Edmure greeted his sister first, offering his condolences and swearing to bring vengeance to the Lannisters. Dany heard Lady Catelyn answer, "Will that bring Ned back to me?" Dany felt her eyes well up with tears yet again as she heard the pain in her good mother's voice. Dany felt very sympathetic to Lady Catelyn, and yet, Dany knew that if anything were to happen to Robb she would want vengeance regardless of the grief she felt.
Lady Catelyn then asked after her father, Lord Hoster Tully. When she heard that he was bedridden, she demanded to be taken to him at once and her brother obliged her. As Lady Catelyn walked off, one of the Tully guards asked if he could assist Robb.
"If you could show me to the godswoods I would be much obliged," her husband answered. "I need to cleanse myself after the battle and pray for my father."
The man nodded and then turned to her and said, "And you my lady, would you like an escort to your chambers? I am sure you are weary."
"No," she replied with a tired smile. "I shall go to the godswoods as well." She would pay respect to one of the best men she knew by praying to his gods, she thought it only fitting.
She and Robb were not alone in going to the godswoods. All of Robb's bannermen that held to the old gods followed them. Theon excused himself to go to the Great Hall, no doubt, Dany thought, to try to woe some kitchen maid into his bed for the night. Dany didn't begrudge him that as Theon was the least godly person she knew. Before they could go to the godswood, however, Ser Brynden Tully leaned over and whispered something to Robb. Dany could not make out what the Blackfish had said, but she saw Robb's frown as he said, "I see. We will have to call a council. I will pray first though."
When they entered the godswoods, Robb placed his longsword in the ground in front of the slender weirwood and helped Dany to kneel down before he knelt next to her. Behind them the others knelt after placing their own weapons into the earth. Dany closed her eyes and prayed to the old gods.
She thanked them for granting Robb his victories and for keeping Robb and Theon safe in the battle. She asked them that they grant them more victories over the Lannisters. She wondered briefly if she should pray for peace, but she knew in her heart that she did not want peace yet. Dany wondered what that said about her. She then turned her thoughts to Lord Eddard. She could picture his solemn face in her mind and she felt a pang in her heart when she realized that he had left this world forever. Who else would have fought Robert Baratheon for her life, let alone allow the daughter of his enemies to marry his heir? She would always be grateful for that and for the fact that he had never let her be ashamed of her heritage. He had never hid the truth of her father's madness from her and yet he taught her that her family had not been all mad. She would never forget the time he told her about her brother Rhaegar, how many other men would do that? She wished he could have lived longer, for the world needed more men like him, and she knew he would have liked to meet his first grandchild, but it was not to be. She asked that the old gods grant him peace and that they help Robb step up to take his place as Lord Stark.
Dany did not know how long they had been praying but she felt more at peace when Robb stood up and helped her to her feet. He sheathed his sword and when they turned, Lady Catelyn was standing in the godswood with tears in her eyes.
"Mother," Robb said as they walked over to her. "We must call a council. There are things to be decided."
"Your grandfather would like to see you and Daenerys," Lady Catelyn said. "He is very sick."
"I know, Mother, and I am sorry. Both for your sake and Lord Hoster's. Yet first we must meet. We've had word from the south. Renly Baratheon has claimed his brother's crown."
Dany heard everyone's shock as she tried to process that news. Lady Catelyn seemed surprised as well saying, "Renly? I had thought Stannis surely..."
"So did we all," Galbart Glover replied.
The war council met in the Great Hall where four large table had been arranged into a square. Ser Edmure sat at the head of the table as his father was too weak to attend. Next to him sat Ser Brynden and to the tables to their right and left sat the Tully's bannermen which included the ones that had marched with Robb as well ones that had just joined their cause such as Karl Vance, Ser Marq Piper, the new young Lord Darry, and Lord Janos Bracken who sat as far away from his enemy, Tytos Blackwood, as he could. Dany, Robb, and Lady Catelyn sat opposite of Ser Edmure with the northern lords at their side.
The men all argued through the night. After all there was much to discuss with two proclaimed kings in the land. Some of the men wanted to march directly to Harrenhal and finish the Lannisters for good. Still others wanted to strike for Casterly Rock to hit the Lannisters at home. Others wanted to wait at Riverrun as they now had control of the supply lines. Finally Lord Bracken said that they should join forces with King Renly.
At that Robb broke his silence, "Renly is not the king." Dany could not have agreed more, and yet she did not know what she hoped for.
After Robb declared that Renly was not the king, the arguments began once more. No one wanted to bend the knee to Joffrey, after all he killed Lord Eddard, and yet, would bending the knee to his younger brother be any better? After all Tommen was still a Lannister. Some of the men asked if they should declare for Stannis, but that was shot down, after all it was Renly that had the strength of Highgarden and Storm's End behind him. Marq Piper pointed out that if Renly had Highgarden and Storm's End all they needed was to add their strength to his as the Dornishmen and the Arryns were not like to aid the Lannisters, then it would be six of the kingdoms fighting the Lannisters.
Lady Catelyn had been quiet as well. She did not break her silence until Ser Stevron Frey suggested making peace with the Lannisters, which all the men shouted down. Lady Catelyn jumped in to say, "Why not a peace?"
Dany was too shocked for words. How could she want a peace with her lord husband's murderers? Before Dany could speak, Robb spoke again echoing Dany's thoughts. "My lady, they murdered my lord father, your husband," he said grimly. He drew his longsword and laid it on the table. "This is the only peace I have for them."
Dany heard the men bellow their approval, led by the Greatjon who was always Robb's most vocal supporter. Lady Catelyn waited until their was quiet and she began to persuasively speak for peace. She said that they marched south to free her husband, but he was dead and now amount of war could bring him back. That she just wanted her daughters back, to see her grandchild born in peace, to return to Winterfell to see her sons. She just wanted to spare more lives.
Dany was afraid for a moment that Lady Catelyn had persuaded them, but the Blackfish spoke up and said, "Peace is sweet, my lady... but on what terms?"
Lord Rickard said, "What did my sons die for if we turn back now?"
Then all the others took up the call. Even Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood agreed that they could not forge peace now and no one wanted to bend the knee to any Lannisters.
Dany was relieved that she was not alone in her feelings. And yet as she listened to the men shouting again, she could only think that her husband would make a better king than any Baratheon or Lannister. She tried to push that errant thought out of her mind, she knew Robb did not march south to seek a crown, and yet she could not quite get the thought out of her head. She had never desired to be a queen, but she had been born a Targaryen and she knew that if Robert Baratheon had not rebelled, if the Lannisters had not killed her family, she would have been royal.
The Greatjon broke her out of her musings as he roared, "MY LORDS! Here is what I say to these two kings!" He spat. "Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis. Why should they rule over me and mine? They know nothing of the north. The Others take the Lannisters, too. I've had a belly full of them." He drew his huge two handed greatsword across his shoulder. "We bowed to the dragons in the north, not the stag or the lion. And there sits the last dragon next to my liege lord!" He pointed at Dany and Robb with his blade. "There sit the only king and queen I mean to bend MY knee to, m'lords." At that he placed his sword at their feet and knelt.
"Aye," Lord Karstark said. "The Starks ruled the north and the Targaryens in the south, why not claim the iron throne?" He took his longsword from the scabbard and laid it at their feet as well. "My king, my queen."
Maege Mormont stood. "King Robb, Queen Daenerys," she declared and laid her spiked mace next to the swords.
And Dany saw the river lords rising as well, drawing their swords, kneeling at their feet, and swearing their allegiance to them. She knew she should be afraid, after all they had never asked for this and they were too young, but all Dany felt in her heart was joy and she knew she was smiling as the men shouted their names. She hoped the Lannisters could hear the cries.
A/N: It didn't turn out like I wanted it to, but I have a lot going on and I really just felt like I should update. I'll probably go back and clean it up a bit more but I am keeping the ending. I had planned from the beginning to have Robb and Dany go for the Iron Throne because I think they would have a very popular claim. And to answer the many reviewers, there will be dragons, but not now. I do have a plan for them though, just be patient as I don't think Dany currently has a way to hatch the eggs. This chapter takes us to the end of the first book, I'm thinking about expanding my POVs because this development will affect a lot more people, like the Lannisters, so let me know what your thoughts are on that. Oh and baby names because I am honestly torn and I've gone back and forth between three like a thousand times (Brandon, Eddard, or Rhaegar) so if you have a suggestion please let me know. And thanks for taking the time to read it. Hope you enjoyed!