A/N: So, I forgot I had already written most of this chapter, which means it's ready to go a lot quicker than I planned lol
Thanks for all my reviews, and follows and favourites, you guys are great :) and congrats to Calisi87 and Mariion for finding the lyrics in last chapter. I used 'Did I disappoint you? Did I leave a bad taste in your mouth?' from One by U2.This chapter has a little something from the genius that is Meat Loaf.
Also, thanks to youbima-chan for pointing out my mistake in Chapter 4 - I have corrected it, and Jeyne Pool now no longer has blue eyes, but brown :) lol
Enjoy,
xBx
Chapter 5: Aegon
It had been six weeks since Aegon had sent his envoys north, up into the mountains of the Vale. Since then they had received two ravens from the men: the first to tell that they had crossed the Blackwater Rush, close to King's Landing, but with little incident – they had come across a number of Lannister outriders, but they would not be reporting back to King's Landing of Aegon's movements; each scuffle had resulted in the shedding of Lannister blood, but none of Aegon's men had been harmed.
The second raven delivered news that they had successfully crossed the Trident, and that they were on the edge of the Vale. It was a curious letter, detailing their stay at a crossroads inn and repeating some rumours that had been circling there. Rumours about the Ghost of Lyanna Stark rallying men in the south, and that the Brotherhood were rallying somewhere in the centre of the Riverlands – the girl at the inn never said where, but apparently the young man who had been their protector for four years had taken off suddenly at the prospect of finding some long lost girl. I can't help but think these two incidents are related, though how I cannot say at present Peake had written, But if we can discover who this lost girl is whom the brotherhood are apparently searching for, perhaps she can help us unite the brotherhood to our cause. I shall write again when we have more news.
Peake was right, if they found this girl, they would be more likely to broker an alliance with the Brotherhood. Though how to start looking for someone they knew nothing about, Aegon had no clue. Aegon had received the letter this morning, and he was currently discussing its contents with Arianne and Jon in the map room.
"Until we know more about who this girl is, there is not much we can do." Arianne stated, for the tenth time already, "We have bigger things to worry about – where have those wolves come from?!" She snapped, running her hands through her hair.
The wolves had been howling for half an hour, on and off, slowly getting louder.
"I don't know," Aegon said, running a hand over his eyes, "But I'm starting to get a headache." He muttered.
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door, and one of his guards entered. "Your Grace." He announced himself, looking wary.
Aegon looked up from the letter he was poring over, for the fifth time that morning, "What is it?"
"Brother's of the Night's Watch, travelling North to the wall. They are at the gates and wish to be admitted. They seek shelter for the night and if possible a pick of the Dungeons." The guard seemed to find this request impertinent, but Aegon didn't mind.
"What in seven hells have you kept them waiting for?" Aegon asked, "Why haven't you admitted them? They are Men of the Night's Watch, they take no part in wars in the seven Kingdoms so they are no threat, and they need all the help they can get. If not for the Wall there wouldn't be a Kingdom for me to claim." Aegon reminded him.
"They are travelling with a Lady, who is followed in turn by a host of armed men and a pack of wolves. One of which is as big as a horse, and never leaves the woman's side" The guard said.
"Ahh." Aegon said, now he understood the reluctance, and also why there had suddenly been more howls than usual. "What does she want?" He asked warily, conscious of the look exchanged between Lord Connington and Arianne.
"She seeks an audience with you, you're Grace. But she is reluctant to give her name."
Aegon's curiosity was spiked, "Let them through, give the Black Brothers everything they have requested, tell them I will come to them shortly in the Hall. Send the Lady straight up to me. And request that her men and wolves remain at the gates until I have had a chance to speak with her." Aegon commanded.
"At once, Your Grace." The guard nodded, before turning and leaving. When the door was safely shut behind him, Aegon turned to his companions. "A wolf as big as a horse?" He repeated significantly.
"That can only be a direwolf." Arianne said uneasily, "But with the winter, it's possible a number of animals that dwell in the far North have found their way South, to warmer climates." She suggested.
"This far south?" Jon challenged, "And at the side of a woman? We know of only one family who has a connection with direwolves."
"The Starks." Aegon agreed, "But both girls are missing, presumed dead.
"But, if this is a Stark girl," Jon pressed, "It may explain why she is reluctant to give her name. And, this seems too much of coincidence considering the letter you hold in your hand." He added.
Aegon's wariness was forgotten, and he let out a snort, "You think a ghost is at our gates?" He mocked.
Jon was spared from answering when the guard returned, opening the door and admitting the woman in question. As soon as she entered she caused a stir: her beauty, despite the plainness of her attire, immediately struck Aegon. She was petite, and dressed in men's garb, but it was fitted well enough to show that she was plainly a woman, and she exuded a confidence that bordered almost on dangerous: Arianne was a strong woman, but Aegon had a feeling even she might quail under this young woman, should she be tested. Her hair was a dark deep brown, almost black, and was pulled back in a loose braid that fell over her shoulder, a few loose tendrils falling around her face and perfectly framing her features. But it was her eyes that drew Aegon: a stormy grey that were indifferent at the moment, but Aegon was sure that any emotion would be betrayed there, and if it were it would be mesmerising.
What Aegon never expected was the reaction her entrance received from Jon Connington. He stood at once, albeit stiffly, drawing his blade; as soon as the metal left the scabbard a cacophony of howls erupted from outside the gates.
"Seven Hells!" Jon shouted
Aegon looked in shock at his companion, and back at the beautiful woman, who seemed less than fazed at the greeting, though her eyes became even more steely and cold.
"Would you truly attack an unarmed girl?" She asked politely, "If I knew I were to be received like this, I would never have surrendered my own blade at the door, quite so easy." Her accent was confusing; there was a strong Northern undercurrent, but there was also a hint of the free cities – accents that Aegon had got to know well in his time across the Narrow Sea. If he were to hazard a guess, he would say she had spent a fair amount of time in Braavos.
"Stand down." Aegon commanded, "What's the matter with you?"
"You are no girl." Jon declared, not lowering his sword, and ignoring his King. "What are you, who can take on the form of the dead?" he demanded.
The woman raised her eyebrows, "The dead?" She repeated, "You are mistaken, ser, I am very much alive."
"Lyanna Stark died over twenty years past. Yet she is standing in front of me now. How is that possible?" Jon persisted.
The woman smiled, "Right family, wrong woman." She said, "Lyanna is dead, and still lies in the crypts of Winterfell. But I won't deny I am a stark." She admitted. "I am Arya, perhaps you have heard of me?"
"You married the Bastard of Bolton, but disappeared a couple of years ago." Aegon said in response.
"No. I have never married and I disappeared long before then." She glanced back at Jon ,"Perhaps if your companion will stay his weapon we could discuss this thoroughly." She suggested.
"Do as she says." Aegon commanded, and when the weapons were sheathed he proceeded to introduce them. As soon as the threat was taken away, the wolves quieted outside, much to everyone's relief.
"I apologise, my lady. This is Lord Jon Connington, of Rainwood." Aegon introduced, "And this is the Princess Arianne, of Dorne." Arya nodded to each in turn.
"Forgive me, My Lady." Jon spoke, "But your appearance took me by surprise. If I may be so bold, how do we know you are truly who you say you are?" he asked her.
"You can not deny I am a Stark: the blood of the First Men and the Starks runs thick in my veins – if it didn't you would not have confused me with my Aunt. If that does not convince you, did your guard tell you what walks at my side?" As the three exchanged uneasy looks, Arya continued,
"Surely you know the stories of Ned Stark's children and their Direwolf pups? Surely you heard the stories of King Robb who rode to battle with his Direwolf at his side? Each child had their own: Nymeria is mine, and only I can tell her what to do. Our connection is deeper than that of normal master and pet – you heard the commotion when steel was drawn against me, she sensed my danger. Do I need to offer further proof?" She asked, sincerity flowing with every word and Aegon believed her whole-heartedly.
"You have convinced me," Aegon said, "But your sudden reappearance is a bit of a shock, to say the least." He pointed out. "Please, take a seat," Aegon offered, and then turned to Arianne, who wasn't looking too pleased. "Arianne, fetch Lady Stark a goblet, please." Arianne looked even less pleased at that. Aegon rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to send for a serving boy to do something we are more than capable of doing ourselves." He said.
Arianne complied with his request in silent indignation – Aegon wasn't quite sure what was angering her to such a degree, but he would reserve asking questions until they were alone.
When Arya had been served with wine, Jon spoke once again.
"You have me convinced, too." He said slowly, retaking his seat, "But why are you here? And if you didn't marry Ramsey Bolton, who did?"
Arya took a seat of her own, and Aegon and Arianne followed suit. "I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Lord Connington, your guess is as good as mine. I have been told she was sent from King's Landing, by Cersei Lannister: Cersei never had me in her possession. She took Sansa the day she arrested my father, or rather Sansa went to her willingly, but I ran and I hid. I hid well, and I left the city – the how and when does not matter, and where I went is of no consequence to our conversation. All you need know is that I eventually made my way across the Narrow Sea some four years ago, but now I have returned. To take back what is rightfully mine and seek vengeance for my family."
"But what brings you to Storms End? To me?" Aegon asked.
"I'm here to propose an alliance" Arya said, getting right down to the point "From what I have heard since my return, I believe I can be of help to you, and you can certainly be of some help to me."
"How so?" Aegon edged. He saw her glance at the table where the large map of the Seven Kingdoms was laid.
"You have not attempted to take King's Landing yet." She stated, rising from her seat and moving to stand at the table. Aegon followed immediately, but Jon and Arianne remained resolutely in their place.
"As I understand it, the Lannisters have a good number of men there, as well as a strong host at Casterly Rock and the surrounding area." Arya spoke, her eyes travelling to the places she spoke of, taking in the figurines placed there.
"The Tyrells of Highgarden are still presumably sworn to the Lannisters, since their little Rose is married to Tommen." Arya continued. "You have the full backing of Dorne, along with some of the lesser houses of the Reach. You have the support of Cape Wrath, and Tarth has pledged you their allegiance. As it stands, you are very evenly matched. Which is why you have yet to strike, am I right?" She asked, looking up at Aegon, her face still devoid of any emotion.
Aegon nodded, watching her intently. "The Iron Men do not move," He told her, adding to what she had said, "They keep their fleet anchored at Pyke: we had word from their King, claiming he will be an ally, but will not bend the knee. He will assist as long as he is able to remain King of the North and the Iron Isles."
"I hope you told him to go fuck himself with that offer. He has no right to the North, the North belongs to Winterfell and the Starks." Arya declared angrily, betraying the first hint of emotion, though contrary to Aegon's early surmise, her eyes remained cold and calm: only Lady Arya's voice betrayed the emotion. But despite this, Aegon couldn't help his lips from quirking into a small smile at the less than lady-like language she displayed: there was something quite refreshing about her brashness.
"The Iron Men will not stir." Arya agreed, turning back to the maps, "You can expect no help from the North, not while they are busy defending their own lands from beings beyond the Wall, as well as scuffling amongst themselves and the Iron Men." She continued bluntly, "The Lords of the Riverlands, you should not count on them either. I hear The Tullys still hold Riverrun, but barely. If they leave, the Lannisters will claim the Riverlands. But of course you know all this." She added, with a small, sly smile.
"The question is: how do you know all this?" Asked Arianne suspiciously. While Jon had accepted Arya for who she was, and had seemingly mellowed toward her as they talked, Aegon noticed that Arianne remained extremely cold to the last Stark.
"I made a point of knowing everything I needed to know, before I came here. I never make a decision without knowing all the facts." Arya said coolly, taking in Arianne's hostility and returning it in kind, before turning back to Aegon.
"What of the outlaws?" she asked slowly, and Aegon thought he detected a hint of wariness in her tone, "The Brotherhood Without Banners? I hear they are still at large? That they have not disbanded?"
"They have never disbanded, we still hear of them. But we can never find them." Jon admitted, "We hear rumours of where they are, but we do not trouble them too much. We found if we leave them be, they leave us be."
"The Brotherhood had many friends a few years ago, they never wanted for shelter away from the open." Arya told them. "They probably still have that many now, perhaps more."
"How would you know that?" Aegon asked curiously.
Arya shrugged, "I travelled with them for a time." She said simply, looking intently at the map, "Where are they rumoured to be now?"
"You were an outlaw?" Arianne said with contempt. Arya lifted her head slowly, and gave Arianne a cold look with just as much contempt.
"They were not the words I said." Lady Arya bit back, the contempt becoming clear in her voice. "I said I travelled with them, not that I was one of them. They were the only people to know who I truly was after I fled King's Landing. I stayed with them for a time, and they were going to return me safely to my Mother and Brother. Obviously they were unsuccessful." She looked back at Aegon but before she could ask a question, Aegon spoke first.
"You travelled with them for a time?" He repeated, and then "Did they perhaps loose you?" He asked slowly and he saw Jon give him a quick look, and knew that Jon understood what he was thinking.
"You could say that." Arya conceded slowly, "But it's not important." She said, though she watched Aegon warily as she spoke.
"It might be," Aegon hedged; she could be the key to bringing the Brotherhood to his banners, "How well did they treat you? Did they show you respect?" He asked.
Arya smiled, as if she knew what Aegon was really trying to ask.
"You want to know if they thought well enough of me to listen to me." Arya stated. Yes, she knew exactly what Aegon was getting at. Without waiting for a response, Arya shrugged, "They will never fight under your banners." She told him bluntly.
"The Brotherhood fought in the name of my Lord Father: Lord Beric was their leader, and he was continuing the work Lord Eddard had sent him out to do. If they are ever going to take any banners, they are more like to be mine than yours." She said.
"Lord Beric?" Aegon asked, confused, as he had never heard that name. "They are led by a Lady Stoneheart, now."
"I do not know her," she admitted.
"I don't believe Stoneheart is her true name, My Lady." Aegon said, "But no one knows who she really is except those close to her. But regardless, she has been going after the Freys, seeking vengeance for the Red Wedding, so she is obviously a friend to the Starks." Arya looked back down at the maps, no emotions registering on her face, but Aegon noticed her knuckles whiten as she gripped the table.
"I am sorry, My Lady, I should have thought before bringing that up." Aegon said quietly.
Arya shook her head, "It's quite all right," she said calmly, "Please continue."
Aegon cleared his throat, "As I was saying, apart from going after Freys, it seems the brotherhood are also looking for someone." He told her, "A girl whom they lost a few years ago, they seem keen to find her again." Arya looked up at Aegon as he said this,
"And you think it's me." She stated, once again hearing the words Aegon had yet to speak, "And you think I am the key to bringing the brotherhood to your cause? Lets say you're right, what makes you think I would convince them to fight for you and not myself?" She asked, with a small smile.
Aegon smiled back with confidence, "You came here to barter an alliance did you not?" he reminded her.
Arya surveyed him for a moment, then gave a quirk of a smile and a small nod before looking back down at the map of Westeros, her eyes lingering momentarily far north, where Winterfell stood.
"Now that we've discussed the lay of the land and its forces, why don't we just get to the point?" Arianne suggested roughly; Aegon sensed she was becoming impatient with the conversation and even more impatient with Arya's presence, though why he could not truly say.
Arya took a breath, and addressed the room in a clearer voice, "To take King's Landing for certainty, you need more men. You could, of course, ask for help from your Aunt, who currently sits in Slavers Bay, as I understand. But that would take a long time, and that amount of time you do not have. Plus, can you really trust her?" Arya asked, in all seriousness.
Aegon looked momentarily confused, "Why couldn't I trust her?" he asked warily. "She is family."
Arya shrugged, "I can only retell what I have heard: But you must remember it was long believed you were dead, and she was therefore raised believing her brother was the rightful King. Her brother arranged her a marriage to a Kahl, and when she rose to Kahleesi she repaid her brother by crowning him with molten gold, or so it's been told. She was already a Queen of the Horselords, and after getting rid of her brother, she put herself in line for the Iron Throne. Colour me cynical, but that isn't someone I would trust to help me take the throne." She said to them, letting the unspoken assumption of treachery hang in the air.
"What exactly are you proposing?" Arianne pressed, "As of yet, you have yet to say anything specific."
"I hold no love for the Lannisters." Arya declared, "I have come to you, knowing who you are, and in support of your claim to the Iron Throne. I will acknowledge you as King on the Iron Throne, if you acknowledge me as Lady Stark, rightful Heir of Winterfell, and Warden of the North in my own name." She declared.
"And if I did this," Aegon said, "You could bring me the North?" He asked, "Unite them, and make them kneel to me?"
Arya bit her lip, deliberating, "The only time the North is truly united is when there is a Stark in Winterfell," She said slowly, measuring her every word, "When the war for the Iron Throne began, after Robert Baratheon's death, the North did not bestir themselves for any King, but for my Father, Lord Eddard, who had been wrongly accused of treason by the Lannisters. They marched south, behind my brother Robb, and when my Lord Father was executed for false claims, and war broke out over who was the rightful heir, the Northmen bent their knee to my brother and proclaimed him King in the North." She reminded them all.
"Prince Aegon, you may be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, but do not make the grave mistake of your predecessors, and underestimate the North: The Northmen protect the realm from what lays beyond the Wall – in the summer years, the Southern Lords and summer Kings forgot that, but now winter is here and I bet you have seen and heard of things you can not explain." She saw the look they exchanged, and knew she was right.
"After everything the North has been through, and is still going through; after the scorn laid upon us by the Iron Throne and the Southron Lords, there is no way we will kneel to the Iron Throne. The North will remain an independent Kingdom, but that does not mean we can not be allies." Arya said confidently, and Aegon heard the determination in her voice: she would not be swayed from her decision, and he had to consider this extremely carefully, or risk making another enemy.
"No, you will only steal away half Aegon's Kingdom!" Arianne bristled, losing what little calm she had managed to retain.
Lady Arya smiled, "I am only taking the North, that will leave Prince Aegon with six, out of seven, Kingdoms: that's a tad more than half." She looked to Aegon now, "And correct me if I'm wrong, but that's one more Kingdom than the Iron Throne currently holds, is it not? See, an alliance with me is already paying off."
Aegon laughed at that, despite the seriousness of the conversation, "She speaks true, you can't deny it." He said, glancing at Arianne before looking back to Arya, "Though if you wanted to keep the Iron Isles and their men, I won't begrudge you." He said, only half joking.
Lady Arya grimaced, "Tempting," she said, and her sarcasm was clear, "But I think I'll just stick to the North: I wouldn't want to be accused of being greedy. The Iron Men are all yours."
Aegon chuckled again, "Wonderful," he said, sarcasm colouring his tone as well. He shook his head, and returned the conversation to a serious track:
"I know my history, Lady Stark, both old and recent. And I am well aware that after the first conquest, the North was the last Kingdom to bend the knee" Aegon said.
Arya nodded, "For years, the Starks reigned as Kings in the North and kept a peaceful alliance with the Iron Throne – I see no reason why we can not go back to that. The alternative is to force the North to their knees, but nothing short of Dragons raining fire down upon us will make us kneel. And suffice to say, after the bloodshed that the Lannisters have spread across Westeros, such drastic measures will cause you to loose more support, I fear. No one wants to see any more butchery." She told him, and Aegon nodded in agreement – he wanted his ascent to the throne to be as peaceful as possible. He knew some blood would have to be shed, but complete carnage such as the Lannister armies had spread was something he could at least try to avoid.
"You are your brother's heir, there is no doubt to that." Aegon conceded, "Rightful heir of Winterfell, and Warden of the North. But do you intend to pick up his crown and declare yourself Queen?" He asked
"The Starks are the rightful holders of the North; I will hold the North as a Stark of Winterfell." Arya clarified, "But whether as simply Lady Stark, or Queen Arya, that is not for me to decide. The Northmen crowned my brother, only they can crown me." Now they were getting to the heart of the matter.
"And if they do crown me, it will not change your claim to the Iron Throne." Arya pressed on, "You will still be King, and I will still back your claim. You will just be one Kingdom short of the seven you are currently trying to claim. When I take back Winterfell, I can restore peace amongst the Northmen, and set things to rights. And I can guarantee they will follow me into any battle I lead them to." Arya said, with a determined look.
"But I will never make them bend the knee to the Iron Throne. I will swear you my allegiance, but after everything the North and I have suffered at the hands of those who sit the Iron Throne, I can never kneel to you. You have to understand that." She finished.
Aegon considered her for a moment, he could feel the tension in Jon and Arianne, and he knew they were bristling at her brashness. But Aegon found Lady Arya's boldness stimulating: she had more backbone than many of the men he was surrounded by; she spoke truths not flowery riddles, and he respected her for it.
"Hear her?" Aegon said to the other two, "She does not flower her words. You should take a leaf out of her book, Arianne. Jon doesn't always say things so bluntly, it's true, but he does it more so than you." He told her with a smile – a smile she did not return.
Arianne didn't reply, though Aegon was sure she had something to say. He decided he didn't want to hear it just now, so he turned back to Arya.
"I know that I will never be politically correct, and I don't give a damn about my lack of etiquette," Arya said defiantly, in defence of her blunt speeches, "But I will always speak the truth; and I will never go back on my word, of that I can assure you, upon my honour as a Stark."
"Alright," Aegon conceded, "I accept your-".
"What are you doing?" Arianne hissed, cutting him off.
"Your Grace, shouldn't we discuss this?" Jon said quietly in his ear.
"What is there to discuss?" Aegon said, "You know as well as I do, we need the North, or the Bortherhood: She is the only one who can give us both. You told the men to pray for a miracle that would deliver us a Stark to hand us the North," He reminded Jon, "Well, your prayers have been answered, but everything has it's price."
Aegon looked back to Arya, "As I was saying, I accept your alliance. What happens now?"
Arya allowed a small smile, and she straightened herself up, standing tall. "When I leave here I will continue to travel North, and retake what is mine." She declared, "But I will need men: I intend to recruit more men as I travel. The Tullys of Riverrun are my kin and will fight on my side, though not until the Riverlands are secure. But that won't be near enough. Which brings to my other motive for coming to you: I am asking you to grant me some men, to help me. I won't ask many, I know you cannot spare an army. I ask only fifty. I have already gained fifty seasoned men to fight alongside me, and fifty green lads eager for battle. Between here and Oldtown I have gathered a handful more. I am confident, after what you have told me, that I can get the Brotherhood to give me their swords. If the Brotherhood will fight for me, then I can get them to fight for you also." Arya said.
"Do you truly believe you can?" Jon asked, clearly uncertain.
"I do." Arya said to him, sincerity clear in her features, before looking back at Aegon. "And once I get into the North, I should have no trouble rallying men against the Iron Islanders. Once they fall, I will help you take King's Landing." She assured him.
Aegon looked thoughtful for a moment, "Perhaps you may not need to." He said slowly, "If you take men up to the Riverlands, draw out the Brotherhood to stand with you, that will be a lot of men between the Lannisters at Casterly Rock and King's Landing. If we call the strength of Dorne to us now, and move not long after you leave," He said to Arya, "We could take King's Landing with ease, without the worry of Lannister reinforcements coming down from the rock to take is in the rear."
Arya nodded, thinking of what he said, "It's certainly possible." She agreed, looking intently at the maps and figurines across the table, "Though by no means certain. It will need further discussion." She looked out of the window, "The day is wearing on," she commented.
"Forgive me," Aegon said, "I didn't stop to think, you will have had a long hard ride from Oldtown. I will find room for you and your men, and you will of course join us in the hall for dinner."
Arya smiled, "Thank you, that would be most welcome. And if it is not too much trouble, I would welcome a bath, I think my men would too. As you say, it's been a long ride."
Aegon smiled, "Of course, I will have the maids fetch a tub to your room, for privacy. My men will show your men to the bathhouse. And tomorrow, I hope we can continue our discussion where we have left off?"
"I look forward to it." Arya said with a polite smile.
Aegon summoned his guards back, giving him instructions to let Lady Stark's men and Direwolf be admitted into the grounds, and housed in whatever comfort they could spare, and to the then show Lady Stark to a room, where she could bathe and change in private. When Arya had left, Aegon turned back to Jon and Arianne, and waited for them to speak.
"Say it." Aegon spoke tiredly, after neither made a move to speak.
"You don't want me to 'flower my words' to you?" Arianne repeated his earlier sentiment, "Fine then. You are a bloody fool!" she snapped. "You've just given away one of your seven Kingdoms! What were you thinking?" she demanded angrily.
Aegon sighed, "I can't give away what I don't have." Aegon snapped, "You may all call me 'Your Grace', but until I sit the Iron Throne and are crowned within Baelor's Sept, I am still only a claimant to the throne." He reminded them. "What would you have had me do?" he asked, "Tell her to forget it? That it could never be? What do you think would have happened if I had done that?"
Aegon waited for an answer but neither of his companions spoke, so he answered it himself: "She would have left: gone to the Riverlands and rallied the Brotherhood, she would have taken the North and not lifted a finger to help me take the Iron Throne. Instead of a strong alliance with the North, there would have been animosity and feuds and our separate reigns would have been clouded with constant war. Neither of us want that."
Jon sighed, "You are right," he admitted, "I know you are right. And we've known for a long time the North would never bend, we've just never admitted it to ourselves before now. But it still seems hastily settled."
"We are running out of time to act." Aegon said again, "Perhaps it was hasty, but you saw her countenance: Lady Stark is a woman who knows what she wants, she is clearly determined and nothing was going to sway her."
"Throwing in your lot with a Stark is never a good idea." Arianne warned, "Or have you forgotten about what happened to your Father and my Aunt?" she asked coldly.
Aegon looked at her for a moment, and then let out a surprised bark of laughter, "That's what your concern is? That is why you hate her so, you believe history is going to repeat itself? I can assure you, my dear, I have no intentions of running of with the Lady Arya, I am perfectly happy with you at my side." He assured her.
"Prince Rhaegar was happy with Elia." Arianne stated, "Until the little she-wolf came along."
"Forgive me, my princess," Aegon said, "But that is not the story I have heard. But regardless of what happened with our predecessors, I have a feeling the Princess of the North will have more pressing matters on her mind – such as taking back her home, for example – that will distract her from wishing to engage in a tragic love story." he said dryly, the days discussions having taken a toll on him; he was tired and he was hungry, having been so wrapped up in discussions he hadn't eaten anything since breaking his fast not long after dawn.
"Much to your disappointment I am sure," Arianne snapped, walking to the door, "I suppose I should see to getting the Northern Princess a room ready." She declared, leaving Aegon alone with Jon.
"Was it really wise to goad her in such a way?" Jon asked patiently.
Aegon sighed, "Probably not. But she was being ridiculous. Anyway, Lady Stark will continue North in a few days, once her men are rested, and Arianne's jealously will be forgotten and all will be well."
A/N: Just a quick note, I knowI seem a bit harsh towards Daenerys in this - but obviously Arya will not know everything we have read, what she will have heard will have been passed through many people and distorted to a degree. Which is why I wrote it like that (I actually don't mind Daenerys as a character. lol)
I know this alliance may seem to have happened a little quick but it's the start of a long war, so there is still plenty of action to come. Next chapter will be back to Arya, and I can guarantee this one will not be up until next week as I have to get back to real life for a while *sigh* but I will work on it as often as I can.
As ever, please review, and tell me if you found the lyric :)
xBx