"I would sit besides the Stark girl, Lord Greyjoy."
Cassandra looked up from where she stood in the Great Hall. Daenerys had spoken loud and clear as Theon and Cassandra stood on the other side of the wall, waiting to be seated for the great feast in her honour to be served. Cassandra kept one hand inside of Theon's fingers and the other rested on her swelling stomach.
Euron turned to look at the girl, his gaze narrowed as he saw her with his nephew. He hadn't been able to get near her in so long. Daenerys was no fool. She had spent her day watching and listening to how Euron had spoken of Cassandra. She had heard the tone of spite, and the tone of annoyance. The girl was pretty enough, that much was apparent. She was no natural flower, but she had a certain compelling trait to her.
"My Queen," Euron spoke. "Are you sure? I do the girl a great honour by allowing her in this hall. She is married to the enemy. The Freys side with the Lannisters."
"I trust that the girl does not want to affiliate with her husband," Daenerys said back, her tone calm and collected. "If she did, then she would not be here and at your table with your nephew, would she?"
Euron seemed to forget himself for a moment before he nodded in agreement with Daenerys. She took her seat at the head of the table before Cassandra moved along the women of nobility who resided in Pyke. Yara sat beside her brother in the middle of the table whilst Cassandra sat to Dany's left hand side.
"I see the way he looks at you," Daenerys whispered as her men sat around her, pushing the Greyjoy's to the further end of the table. "I hear the way he talks of you, too. It is clear that you have rejected his advances."
Cassandra kept her gaze down, unsure of what she should say in response to the Mother of Dragons. She didn't dare say anything wrong. She didn't want to have her family pushed out because of her. She wanted them kept safe.
"You can speak," Daenerys urged her. "My men protect us from prying ears."
"Thank you, my Queen," Cassandra bowed her head. "It is true. Lord Greyjoy has attempted to force himself onto me. I rejected most of the advances. Ever since then Theon has been taking great care of me. He refuses to let me leave his sight."
"He cares deeply for you," Daenerys said, looking to the snarling young Greyjoy as he bickered with his sister. She thought back to her moon and stars for a moment, shaking her head as weakness came over her. She could not be weak in these times of despair. It would do no one any good. She knew that.
"And I for him," Cassandra said, finally meeting her eye.
"Alas," Daenerys spoke, "I wished to know more of your tale over the feast. And here we feast."
"We do," Cassandra said. "The tale is one which I am not proud of, my Queen. Things have happened which have not been easy."
"I tend to find that life is never easy," Daenerys said. "Believe me; I assume there are people in a worse predicament than you are."
"I agree," Cassandra said. "I know the people of King's Landing suffer due to the incoming Winter. I have learned to count my blessings every moment I am with Theon."
"I did not know the Starks were such romantics," Daenerys said, sipping on her wine before she held her hand out, gesturing for the girl to continue with her tale. "Please, tell me all of that has happened to make House Stark change their allegiance to the Targaryen house."
Cassandra began from the beginning and the death of her father, telling the young woman of how she had been forced to marry for a bridge. Daenerys knew what it felt like to be married to someone for political gain. However, she had come to love her Khal. This girl never loved the Frey man. Cassandra spoke of how Theon had taken Winterfell and burnt it down before she told her how he had been taken by the Boltons.
She finished her tale with the fact that the two of them had sailed for Pyke and safety away from Stevron Frey.
"Is it true that only the High Septon has the power to annul a marriage?" Daenerys questioned once she had listened to the story.
"Yes," Cassandra said, daring to pick at a slice of bacon. "He is the only one with enough power to make such a measure possible."
"I see," Daenerys said. "Otherwise death would be the only thing."
"I cannot help but think that the Freys refuse to die. Lord Walder continues to live. The Gods only know how."
"No man can avoid death when it stares him in the face," Dany said, her tone dark and dismal. "Believe me of that."
Cassandra kept quiet, timidly chewing on her bacon as Daenerys took another sip of wine before looking to the girl.
"If your House stay loyal to me then I see no reason why I cannot have your marriage annulled," Daenerys said after a moment of consideration. "Your story is one which I can relate to. It is one which is not full of happy endings."
"House Stark shall remain loyal," Cassandra said. "Although I would ask one thing of you, my Queen."
"And what would that be?"
"My sister, Sansa Stark...well...she currently resides in King's Landing under the status of a hostage now. I would ask for her to be spared if you were to attack King's Landing. She is a young girl who has been kept from home for far too long."
Daenerys took a moment to nod. She could spare a loyal girl. Of course she would have to find her first and inform her men not to harm her.
"That is a fair request," Daenerys said. "Trust me; I shall extract my revenge over those who have wronged me. The Iron Throne is mine by right."
"As you say, my Queen," Cassandra said, forcing a small smile onto her lips. "I thank you for what you are willing to do for me."
"Some may call me foolish for believing in the Starks after the time of King Robert," Daenerys said. "I am willing to put everything aside if they are willing to support me. The Gods know that I need allies now that I am back in Westeros."
"My brother knows that," Cassandra smiled. "May I ask...well...Theon does not believe that it is safe to be here on Pyke at this moment in time."
"You mean with my dragons circling and the enemies knowing that I am here?" Dany checked. "Yes, I can see why he would think it is not safe. He may have a point. I do intend to strike soon enough before anyone can reach Pyke."
"I see," Cassandra nodded. "Thank you, my Queen."
"You have nothing to thank me for," Dany promised her, "so long as your brother intends to keep to his word and not pose me a threat."
"I promise you, my Queen," Cassandra nodded, a small smile on her face as she did so.
"Then your allegiance to me has been pledged."
Dany said nothing further on the matter. She knew that small favours would keep her in favour with others. She knew that the girl was the eldest of the Starks and she was often headstrong. She had seen that from the stories she had heard. No, a few small favours which would benefit her would keep her keen. All Dany needed was supporters.
...
"She said that she would do that for you?"
Theon's tone was still one of disbelief as she told him what Daenerys had told her. Theon struggled to believe that the Mother of Dragons would be so accommodating towards Cassandra, but it was apparently true.
Cass forced a shrug to come from her as she moved into her robe and hung her dress back in her wardrobe. Theon was already lounged in bed, waiting for her to join him.
"So long as the Starks are loyal to her," Cassandra nodded. "Anyway, she needs allies, doesn't she?"
"I suppose so," Theon mumbled, not too sure if he should believe Daenerys. "Anyway, what did you find out about her?"
"Not a lot," Cassandra truthfully answered. "She's a private individual. She kept herself to herself."
"I can imagine it was better than the conversation I had with Yara."
"What did the two of you talk about?" Cassandra wondered from him.
"She tells me that if I am to prove myself as a Greyjoy then I am to fight when the time comes," Theon mumbled, watching as Cassandra finally lay on the bed next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she kept watching him, wondering what he was trying to tell her. A moment of sickness came over her as she finally comprehended.
"Fight," she whispered, "in the war."
"Yes," Theon replied.
"But...you can't...Theon..."
"I have to," he replied. "Your brother will be fighting if he has pledged his allegiance to you. My uncle intends to stay behind and keep Pyke safe."
"No!" Cassandra snapped. "Theon, please, do not leave me here with him."
"Sh," Theon urged her, stroking a strand of hair from her face. "I do not intend to leave you with him, Cass. I intend to write to your brother...I intend to have you sent back to the main land. Your mother will ride out to meet you somewhere safe."
"Where is safe?" Cassandra wondered. "Do you expect me to make this journey alone?"
"I spoke with Yara," Theon told her. "She is willing to send some of her men. Some who she knows to be weak, but trustworthy. When I say weak...well...they're not weak exactly."
"You spoke with your sister?" Was all that Cassandra could ask of him. "Do you trust her?"
"Yes," spoke Theon, a hint of truth in his voice. "I trust her more than I ever did. She saved me from death, Cass...she saved both of us."
Cassandra bit down on her bottom lip, shaking her head as she nestled closer to Theon, one arm draping over his stomach.
"How long must we wait?" she wondered softly. "How long until we go?"
"Two days," Theon said. "I shall not have you here whilst my uncle is here. We move quietly in the middle of the night."
"I see," Cassandra said. "Are you...can you not come with me? Meet Robb on the journey to King's Landing?"
"I would love nothing more," Theon truthfully told her, his hand resting on her stomach as he waited to feel his child make some form of movement. "But I have to do this. I need to show my allegiance to the Greyjoys."
Cassandra said nothing more, knowing full well that Theon had his mind made up. And when Theon had his mind made up then there was no more changing it.
"Just tell the child not to make an entrance before its father is back."
Cassandra smiled and leant up before she leant down and kissed him.
"Just come back safe."
...
A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. There won't be any updates for 10 days whilst I'm on holiday but do let me know what you think in that time!