1st Month of 300 A.C. King's Landing
Lady Sansa Stark
She was no longer a Lannister by marriage, the High Septon had agreed to formally annul her marriage to Tyrion, and she could not be happier. She liked Tyrion, but the marriage had been nothing but a lie, and she was tired of lying. That Tyrion was now free from all charges was another good thing, her King had shown just how wise and true he truly was, by dismissing the false accusations against Tyrion he had shown he would not be swayed by the biases of his mother, and Sansa thought she might just love him for that.
Of course there was one other thing standing in the way of them becoming a true couple, and it was that she had come to speak to her king about. "My love, what will you do about Margaery? You know that the Tyrells will accept nothing less than having you married to her. How will you stop that from happening?"
Tommen takes her hands and looks at her. "I have already begun speaking with my grandfather about the Tyrells. I think we might have found something that might allow the marriage to not take place."
Sansa looks at her king and asks. "Oh? What might that be?"
"I might have found some proof that Margaery and her family are not as innocent in all of this as it seems. They did after all fight for Renly before joining us. And that is something that has always made me wonder. Renly died in a very strange manner, there are those who blame Stannis, and then there are those who blame the Tyrells themselves." Tommen responds.
"What makes you think the Tyrells might have something to do with Renly's death?" Sansa asks, their approach on the tip of her tongue.
"The fact that my uncle was not exactly as straight as my father might well have something to do with that. But there is also the fact that my uncle was not so great a fool as to leave his marriage unconsummated. Margaery Tyrell wanted to be the queen, she still does, but more than that she wants a child of hers to claim the throne. I would not be surprised if there is a surprise waiting for us somewhere down the line." Tommen responds.
As her king's words sink in, she realises just what that might mean. "You mean to suggest, that Lady Margaery might have given birth to Lord Renly's child? But then, where is that child, and why did the Tyrells not continue to fight for it?"
Her king looks at her then and merely says. "Because, it would not suit them to fight for a mere babe. The Tyrells might have more sense than most, but their bannermen respect strength, and a babe does not have strength. Joffrey was a boy, a cruel boy, but he was someone who showed strength, furthermore, it was good sense for them to ally with us, for then they did not have one more enemy to fight. I think they might well have done something during the wedding to make it so that Joffrey never had a chance."
Sansa touches her hair then and says. "My hair… I wore a hairnet the day of the wedding, Lady Olenna helped fix it when it went awry." she pauses a moment then and then looks at her king. "You do not think that, that might have been where the substance came from?"
Tommen is looking at her intently, his eyes searching. "Where did you get the hairnet from my love?"
Sansa swallows nervously, she does not know what she should say, but then she decides that the truth is the best course. She will not lie, not to Tommen. "Ser Dontos Hollard, he gave it to me as a gift."
Her king looks at her a moment and then says. "The fool? I thought you had never spoken to him beyond that brief encounter where you saved his life? Why would he give you a hairnet like that?"
Sansa closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and then she responds. "Because it was a gift, a gift as thanks for saving his life, and a way for me to say thank you to him as well."
"Thank him for what?" Tommen asks.
Sansa takes another deep breath. "For helping me escape King's Landing."
A long silence follows this, and Sansa opens her eyes, to see Tommen not looking at her, but some far off point. His gaze seems unfocussed, and she is worried, terribly worried. When he opens his mouth, she breathes a sigh of relief. "I see. Well then, there is one place to start, another is where the Tyrells might have gotten such substances."
Sansa looks at her king and ponders. "Why are you so sure that the Tyrells had a hand in all that occurred at that wedding? Why do you wish to pin the blame on them, and not some poor twist of fate?"
Her king looks at her and says simply. "Because if I do not find ample reason for whatever stupid plan they have, I will be wed to Margaery Tyrell and then I shall be looking at a fate similar to my brother's. And secondly, I will not accuse the Prince of Dorne of this, for my sister is in grave danger. Just as your brother is."
"My brother?" Sansa asks surprised.
"Jon Snow, the bastard of the wall. My grandfather has told me that the Boltons and the Karstarks are looking into getting their hands on him. My grandfather wants to get him as well, for Snow is more valuable to us alive than dead." Tommen says.
"What does your grandfather want Jon for?" Sansa asks, her heart thumping painfully in her chest.
Tommen squeezes her hands reassuringly before responding. "He wants Jon to come south and swear fealty to the throne. If he does this, he will be given that which your other brother might well have bequeathed him." Tommen pauses a moment and then says. "If Jon does as he is told, he will be legitimised and given Winterfell."
Castle Black
Jon Snow
The waiting was growing tiresome, the wildlings were advancing with increasingly freneticism, there had been attacks and near misses, and still Jon was kept within his chambers at the wall. Kept under lock and key, not allowed to leave, and not allowed to do anything without a guard accompanying him at all times. He knew only the barest fragments of what was happening, and Sam and his friends had stopped coming all together. That was why he was so surprised when his door opened and there before him stood someone he had never thought to see.
"Ethan? What are you doing here?" Jon asks stunned.
Ethan Forrester stands before him, sweating, covered in mud and blood, but a grin on his face. "Why, I've come to free you from your cell Jon."
Jon looks at the man before him and asks. "But how? How have you gotten here and where are my sworn brothers?"
At that Ethan's face falls somewhat. "They are either fighting, or they are being slain. We must move now Jon, I will tell you more once we are out of here."
"What do you mean slain? What is going on out there Ethan?" Jon asks.
"Not out there, but somewhere, beyond the wall. The Brothers of the Watch have gone north of the wall to fight something. We must not tarry." Ethan says pulling Jon up and out of the room, quite the feat.
Jon is still stunned by this turn of events, and so follows Ethan somewhat in a dazed state, they walk out of his room, Ghost accompanying them, and soon are outside, and it is then that Jon sees the true extent of the carnage. There are bodies and pyres everywhere. He looks at Ethan and asks him once more. "What happened?"
"Death awoke and came charging through the depths of hell." Ethan says.
Jon looks at him and then at the bodies before them, understanding dawning on him. "The Others? They came here?"
"Aye. So it would seem." Ethan says.
"Then I cannot go." Jon says stubbornly.
Ethan looks at him and his face is contorted into a snarl when he says. "Then I am afraid you must be taken by force."
Suddenly a force of men come out of the shadows and pounce on him, he looks for Longclaw but cannot find it, he hits out with his fists and succeeds for a time, but eventually he is overwhelmed there are too many of them, they are coming, crawling through the wood work, hitting him, and bringing him down in more and more ways that hurt and ache. He sees the faces of the dead, and they talk to him as if they are there before him. Words that are most vile are said to him, and he screams, he screams and screams, but only death comes for him.
The sound of drums makes him shoot awake. Jon looks around, sweat dripping from him, a dream, it was only a dream. And yet as he stands up and walks toward the door, he hears the sound of battle. This is no dream, there is something going on out there, but he does not know what it is, he cannot escape this cell of his. Whoever locked him in here took the key and left him to rot in his own guilt. The ground shakes and he hears a roar, and then another. Giants. Mance has come. His heart starts thumping in his chest, somewhere there is a battle out there and he does not know what to make of it. He calls out, begging for someone to help him out of this damned cell, but no one comes, no one bothers coming, not for the bastard.
Jon shouts, curses, yells, does all he can to try and bring attention to the fact that he is still there, still alive, that he is one more man who could be used to defend against the damned wildlings and their increasingly erratic attacks. The ground underneath his feet shakes, and he curses again. What is going on out there? He does not know, and that, that worries him, he needs to know, he must know what is coming, what is happening. The door flies open then and Jon is forced back, he lands on the bed, and before him stands a figure, a monstrous figure, with a wolf's head and a man's body. The figure stands before him and points a bloodied finger at him. A growl comes from the figure and Jon feels something inside him stir. "Robb?" he asks.
The figure lurches toward him. "Heir, death." the figure slurs.
"What? I…I…I do not understand." Jon stutters.
"Death….to…. the….heir." the figure snarls, crawling toward him now.
"What do you mean?" Jon shouts.
The figure comes toward him now, a cold hand on his leg, Jon tries to shake it off, desperately tries to shake it off, and yet the figure clings to him, not letting go, Jon shouts, he curses, he fights, and yet still the figure holds onto his leg, not letting go, not letting go. "What do you want from me?" Jon yells.
The figure looks up at him now. "Your loyalty." Jon screams then, for the figure is not the monster that haunted him, but now, it is a boy with golden hair and a lion's head, a boy who grins and then destroys him.
Jon's eyes fly open then, and he reaches for the figure. "Now do you see why you must break from the wall Jon Snow?"
"What did you show me?" Jon growls.
"What will happen if you do not leave the wall. You cannot stay here, only death waits for those on the wall, and you, you are far too important to leave to such a fate." the figure replies.
"What would you have me do then?" Jon asks.
"Leave for the mountains and find the one your sister is named for. Find her, and then you shall know the truth." the figure responds.