There's a lot going on in this chapter but you will see it soon.
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Chapter 14 : Dracarys
Under her feet she could feel the merciless cold of the snow. From the sky, snowflakes fell as soft a feathers but as sharp as daggers. Around her, everything was white like a canvas waiting for an artist to make something out of it. In front of her she could see a forest, with tall and ancient trees that had probably witnessed more than men could remember.
At the distance, she heard the cry of a wolf, howling with grief. It was enough to have her running towards the sound – before she would've been afraid of the beasts but living among them for so long, they were her family.
Only when she grabbed her skirts to run faster, she realized she was wearing very thin clothes; like the dresses she used to wear in Pentos. But she kept on running until she was lost in the forest, guided only by the wolf's cries.
In a clearing, she saw Robb covered in his furs standing in the middle, smiling at her with a baby in his arms.
She grinned at the sight of a healthy baby boy with a head covered by a faint layer of hair as white as the snow and eyes as blue as blue winter roses. The Ice Dragon, heir of the Seven Kingdoms and the North, Dany thought.
"My Wolf," she called, smiling as she approached Robb.
He only laughed with that deep and rich laugh of his that made her heart stutter with happiness. Robb was looking at their son, gurgling with joy as Robb's gloved hand tickled his neck.
But that beautiful scene was interrupted by the whimpering of a wolf.
Dany turned her head to the side in time to see Theon Greyjoy – Robb's most trusted man – tying Grey Wind's legs, leaving him defenseless on the snow before drawing his bow and shooting two arrows; one at the direwolf's right eye and the other to the side, close to his heart.
"No!" Dany screamed and as she did, Robb's laughter died. He fell onto his knees, holding their boy close to his chest.
From the shadows of the forest, a man emerged. He was carrying a dagger and making his way to Grey Wind silently, from behind the defenseless wolf. In the blink of an eye, the man pulled Grey Wind's head back and slit his throat.
"No!" she shouted again; her throat felt raw and tears ran down her cheeks but she couldn't move. "Stop it!"
In front of her, Theon fell on his knees, head first on the snow as he sobbed like child, begging for forgiveness to his brother.
And at the other side, she heard the piercing cry of a baby; her baby. She turned and saw Robb lying on the snow, gasping for air as blood gushed from a gash across his neck, flowing and tainting the white snow with a scarlet red.
Dany ran to him, falling on her knees next to him, crying and whimpering.
"Robb, my Wolf," she whispered behind her tears, while her hand brushed his soft, curly reddish brown hair. His blue eyes soft and full of love and apologies bore into hers. "My love," she pled.
Meanwhile, their baby was sobbing, curled against Robb's chest while his little and pudgy hands were bathed by his father's blood. With one arm, Dany cradled their child against her chest. Her hair was dirtied by the blood on the baby's hands.
"Iagan," Robb breathed out before his heart stopped. And as it did, hatred and fury obscured Daenerys' heart.
Suddenly large shadows fell upon her and her child. Behind her stood three dragons – her dragons – as tall as the trees behind them, menacing and powerful.
Theon was almost choked on his tears, his body freezing against the snow, punishing himself for his crimes.
But the pale man, the one with the strange eyes and the impassive face, stood there, enjoying the suffering of both Robb and Grey Wind. She could never forget how the man looked, what he had done to her and her family.
She swallowed her tears hard and made her voice ice as she ordered with all the strength left in her, "Dracarys!"
And she stood tall, even as tears still burned her cheeks and in her chest she felt her heart withering. She held her son with bloodied hands, and both of them watched the murderer burn, consumed by dragonfire.
-o-
She woke up crying and having a hard time breathing but soon she was engulfed by the strong arms that gave her comfort.
"Dany," Robb whispered in her ear and made comforting sounds as he stroke her back. Her belly was still in place, big and swollen with the boy she carried in her. "Are you all right?"
She smiled at him and his eyes. They had the spark of life and youth and he was breathing and alive. Her hands reached for his face and she kissed him with all her might. Her brow furrowed as if they were sharing the first kiss in many years apart, remembering his mouth and his body, erasing the pain of losing him.
He was smiling at her but his face showed confusion. "Dany?"
"We're having a boy," she murmured, deciding it was the only piece of information she was going to reveal – of the rest, she would take care of. She wouldn't let anyone harm her King, the father of her beautiful boy.
Taking his hand in hers, she placed it over her belly.
"You can't know that," he said in an amused voice. "I'd be happy with a girl, as well."
"But he's a boy," she grinned at him. "Strong and healthy, with eyes bluer than yours, like sapphires, and hair whiter than mine."
"You sound so sure," he said as he chuckled. "I might believe you."
"And his name will be Iagan," she stated firmly. "You told me." She caressed the side of his face lovingly as his brow furrowed. "And you will love him with everything you have," she murmured and soon sensed his worry for her, for the sadness that dripped from her words.
"Dany, what were you dreaming about?" Robb asked as softly as he could without sounding demanding – but her wolf was strong and fearless, and he was willing to show his teeth to his enemy without any regret, always going forward. He was scared for her.
"Stupid things," she replied, looking away from his truth-demanding gaze. "But promise me one thing." He nodded hesitantly. "Don't trust Theon."
He scowled at her and she knew it was the wrong thing to say. "I've known him longer than I've known you. Why would I listen to your advice? He's like my brother."
"But you don't have the same father," she retorted. "And he didn't have your loving mother or your family. He wasn't raise to be a Lord and, more importantly, he's not you." She rose to her knees in the bed and cradled his face, brushing her thumbs over his stubble. The image of him, clean shaven was so far away. He looked like a warlord now, not like the proper lord belonging to a castle. "Unlike most men, you have honor and believe in truth. You must see this, my Wolf. Don't trust in the words of men; trust in what you see they do."
"That would mean I should trust in many less than I do. What are you asking from me?"
His posture, his voice, told her enough. Over him she had power money or war couldn't buy, just like the one he had on her. She'd do anything he asked for if he gave her the right reasons – because if there was something they couldn't change about the other was their strong wills.
"To be careful. Fight like you've done, like the King in the North but start thinking as such as well. A king doesn't trust in anyone. He plays the game to win, not just trusting in the honor of the other players." Dany paused long enough so he could give it a thought. "The king shouldn't even trust in his pawns."
-o-
He had seemingly followed her advice because next morning Robb told her about his plans to send his mother to make a deal with Renly Baratheon, so she was riding to the Stormlands.
Since many of the Tyrells' bannermen had turned their backs on them and therefore Renly, Margaery's new husband, Robb would offer him to keep the Stormlands if he joined him and to not take actions against his family – though he didn't include Stannis. If he refused, Robb would inform Randyll Tarly and Dorne, so the attack would begin there, after which Robb planned on moving West, forcing the Lannister out of their lands while Stannis attacked King's Landing.
He would deal with Stannis later but for the moment he would let him do his part.
A smart man, Dany thought. But he still needed to think about the allies he would need to keep in order to rule over a kingdom, and more if he had to take the place as the King of the Seven Kingdoms instead of only the North.
If Renly accepted, Robb's army would be of more than one hundred and fifty thousand men. If not, the numbers didn't change drastically but to lay siege to King's Landing would take longer.
When Catelyn said her goodbyes to her son, Daenerys felt like an intruder. If that was how mother was supposed to treat their children – with so much love and care – she hoped it came from instinct because she had never learned it from her mother. She had always missed her and sometimes felt guilty for being the reason of her death, as Viserys seemed to believe.
"Your father would be so proud of you," Cately whispered to Robb before turning to her. Dany felt somewhat surprised by Catelyn's warm smile and the way she held her hands in hers. "I had my doubts. I can't deny I've still got them but you've done well so far and I pray the Gods you keep doing so." Cately put a gentle hand on Daenery's protruding belly. "My marriage was political as well but love was born. I wish the same for you both."
"I'll be loyal to him," Dany promised in a firm voice, looking into Catelyn's eyes. "I'll take care of him." She placed a hand over Catelyn's on her stomach and then her gaze drifted to Robb, a few feet away. "And of him as well."
She was pulled into a warm hug in which Robb's mother carefully combed her hair with her fingers. Not for the first time, Dany thought she had finally found a family within Robb's – so she hugged the older woman back.
"He needs it."
Of course Robb did but he didn't need to be protected from a sword or war. He needed protection from other Lords' plans. Plans that would lead him to treason as bad decisions – he was so honorable, he sometimes forgot he had to prevail. It would be better for him to remember the words of his mother's house. Family. Duty. Honor. In that order.
-o-
"I want the truth," Dany said as one of Robb's men opened the cell in which the Kingslayer was kept. "You said you knew it, so I want to hear it."
"Not even a greeting, my lady." Jaime Lannister huffed. In daylight he looked dirty and thinner than when he had been taken prisoner, but he somehow kept his attitude as if he wasn't really there, as if they only had trapped his body. "Or should I say my Queen?"
"Stop the mockery and speak before I bring my dragon again," she spoke loudly and with a tone that implied she was not joking.
He looked up at her and pursed his lips. "You do not want to listen to it," he replied softly.
"Then, for what other reason I've come to you? I do not enjoy spending time with an oath breaker."
"It's a long story," he warned.
"I want to know what you know about my father."
He snorted a sad laugh. "Oh, it's not your father this story is about for what everyone speaks here and across the Narrow Sea is true in some way or another." He looked at her in the eye, without remorse or insincerity. "It's your mother no one knows about."
And so she listened to every word the lion uttered, without interrupting him, without threatening him to kill him for his insults against her father – because somehow she knew Viserys could have been like that.
Dany clenched her teeth to keep her tears at bay when the Kinslayer told her about what her mother had gone through as her father slipped further into madness. He didn't seem to be doing so to purposefully hurt her pride, but he said things calmly as if he could remember them vividly.
He also told her no one had done a thing to save her mother from the horrible things her father had done.
"You swore to protect her," Dany exclaimed. "How could you let him do that to her?"
It occurred to her that before her birth, her mother was weak due to the torture she had suffered at hands of her father. And maybe it wasn't her fault. Maybe Rhaella had been abused by someone she loved and couldn't see the fault in that – just like it had happened to her with Viserys until she opened her eyes and saw the cruelty in him. Or maybe she was protecting her children.
Dany wanted to believe in Jaime's words because they offered some strange comfort.
"And I swore to protect the King. Do tell, Princess, what oath was more important than the other?" Jaime asked as if he truly wanted an answer but she didn't have it.
"I'll come back to cut your tongue if I discover you have lied to me," she threatened.
He only smirked. "Many men will be grateful for that."
-o-
The words he was about to speak wouldn't be of her liking, she knew it as soon as Dacey informed her Robb had asked for her presence.
Dany was fond of Dacey Mormont, and it wasn't just because of her family name – she had learned Jorah's name wasn't one she should pronounce from the first day of her arrival. Dacey was a soldier, very skilled with a mace but also graceful like a lady. She also had a good sense of humor that amused Daenerys. She was beautiful despite her height but not many men dared to pursue her for romantic reasons.
"I'm free," Dacey claimed. "My children will be mine. Children of the Bear. I don't need a man."
But needing and wanting was a different thing.
As soon as she stood before Robb, he spoke. "You're going back to Winterfell at first light."
Her eyebrows knotted together and anger invaded her. "No. I'm not leaving you."
"Any time now you'll give birth and I won't let you stay here." He replied stubbornly.
"I rode until birth! I'm strong, you know that!"
"You rode but not in time of war," he spat back. "My child will not be born in a battlefield. I won't let you do that. I want the both of you safe and I need you to look for Bran and Rickon while Mother is away."
"Robb," she pled.
"You'll take Irri, Dacey and Theon with you. You will also go with the Kingslayer and keep him prisoner there, since you're the only one I can trust with him," he demanded sternly before his eyes softened. "I'll join you as soon as I can. Meanwhile, take care of our child."
She hurried to him and rose on tiptoes to claim his lips in a desperate kiss. "Do not send me away from you. I need to be sure you're safe. I need you."
"Dany," he sighed, grabbing her wrists to push her off him as if it physically hurt to hear her begging.
She cried but furiously wiped her tears away with her cold and pale hands. "You are sending Theon to the Iron Islands? You trust him?"
"I'm sending him with you." He breathed deeply to calm himself down. "I'm doing what you asked, keeping him away from me. But you will have to keep an eye on him."
She swallowed hard. "I'll leave Rhaegal with you."
"I can't take care of him," he refused.
"He'll take care of you! And it's an order from your Queen, so you will follow it," she spewed. "Just like you've had Grey Wind, you'll have Rhaegal."
He only nodded before chuckling. "I'm taking orders from a woman, now. What kind of King in the North am I?"
She couldn't help but laughing through her tears. "The kind who loves his wife. And your heart is the one of a warrior, longing to be back home."
Soon his arms were around her, and his lips kissed her and every inch of skin he could reach as he undressed her. It felt desperate and hurried, proving that he wanted to be away from her as little as she did.
They didn't sleep at all and he spent great part of the time making sure she would miss him even more because each kiss and touch reminded her of all the love she was about to leave behind. But she was sure of one thing, she'd return to his side sooner than he wished for but in time for when he needed her.