Chapter 16: To War
Summary:
Jon and Dany enjoy a bath together in the hot springs, and take some time to share their affections with one another. The Starks and Targaryens meet and discuss the events surrounding Westeros. The North plans its war against Euron Greyjoy and the Iron Fleet.
Notes:
For those of you to whom it matters, there's a little smut in the earlier parts of this chapter. Just a little. No, there won't be smut every chapter, and no, it won't always be between Jon and Dany, but we will have smut now and again.
Cut them a break, they just got married. Let them have their smutty goodness~
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chapter Sixteen: To War
They took the remainder of the day to rest from the long flight.
Once Lady Stark had found them both clothing that fit them properly, Jon and Dany slipped away to the hot springs beneath Winterfell. The springs were accessible by a tunnel attached to the Guest House, lit by torches and braziers.
They quickly stripped themselves of their traveling clothes and Dany toed the steaming water, briefly surprised by just how warm it really was. Jon was already stepping into the springs slowly, hissing at the heat until he'd settled in up to his shoulders.
"Gods, I missed this," he sighed. Dany watched, amused, as he let his head fall back and closed his eyes.
Though the steam-filled air was warm, she was still naked and longed for the heat of the water. Slowly, she eased herself into the springs as well. It was like taking a dip into liquid fire, all-encompassing and perfect. The tension in her muscles, the aches that had built up over the past week or so of long days flying on Frostfyre's back began to melt away.
She let out a little hum of satisfaction and leaned against Jon, content to rest against him. His hand found its way around her waist, keeping her snug against his side. Dany rested her head on his shoulder and he set his cheek upon her hair.
For a few minutes, they were content to simply be—to soak in the hot water and relish in the peace and quiet. Then Jon reached behind them, fumbling around the towels they'd set to the side until he found the brush he'd borrowed from Lady Stark at his request.
Dany blinked as he shifted them a bit so she was leaning back against his chest. She couldn't help but smirk when she felt his manhood becoming hard between their bodies and twisted, waggling her eyebrows mischievously. "Well, it seems you're not as tired as I thought."
Jon snorted, laughing. "I guess not. Wet your hair, will you?"
She took a breath and dunked herself beneath the water for a moment, pulling her into the silent void under the surface. She was back up in a second, taking a breath while her hair was plastered all over her head.
Jon carefully gathered her hair up behind her head and began to run the brush through the silver locks, working out knots and tangles that had formed from the near-constant windblown state it had been in over the past few days. Dany only allowed herself to be self-conscious for a moment as she realized what a mess they must've appeared to be when they first arrived on Frostfyre at Winterfell.
She quickly dismissed such feelings, realizing she was being silly. Nobody who rode a dragon as much as they had lately was going to look like the epitome of beauty when they arrived at their destination.
Dany closed her eyes as Jon worked the tangles out of her hair. A thought struck her in her lazy, comfortable state. "Have you done this before? You're good at it."
"I used to brush Arya's hair all the time," he murmured. "She's always off getting herself into trouble. Getting messy. I used to brush it for her so Lady Stark wouldn't suspect half the mischief she'd been up to."
She giggled. "You must tell me about it sometime."
"You should ask her yourself," Jon hummed, carefully working through a particularly stubborn knot. "I know she'd love to talk with you more."
Dany felt the same. The funny thing about riding on dragonback was that it didn't actually provide a lot of opportunity for talking. With the wind constantly whistling loudly in your ears, you needed to yell to make yourself heard. They'd tried that only for a bit before Frostfyre got tired of the shouting and roared to shut them up.
None of them had been stupid enough to irritate the dragon any further.
And of course, after a long day's flight, they were too tired to do much more than set up camp, eat, and sleep.
There was time now to actually get to know her husband's family. Dany was looking forward to speaking with all of them. Hearing about Jon's adventures with Robb and Arya was one thing. Being here, where she could get to know the brothers and sisters he'd grown up with for most of his life—well, it was a different matter entirely.
Jon shifted again behind her and then he was working soap through her hair, massaging her scalp, and Dany felt like she could die happy.
"Gods, that feels good," she murmured sleepily.
"Mmm," she could hear the smile in his voice. He kept it up until she needed another rinse, and by then her hair was luscious and silky-smooth once again.
"Your turn," Dany told him, going for the soap while Jon dunked himself beneath the hot water.
It felt sweet and relaxing—caring for each other in such a way. It felt right.
Once they were both thoroughly cleansed and lulled to near-sleep by the hot water, the two of them got out of the springs, dried off, and changed into their new furs and warm, winter clothes. They were sweltering inside of them until they got back outside, where Winterfell's courtyard was dark and swirling with freezing wind.
But of course, that was just outside. By the time they reached their bedchamber—a room set up in the same wing as the rest of the Starks—they were once again a bit too warm for comfort.
Dany was quick to close and bolt the door. The fireplace was going, crackling low and warm with dim light. She barely waited for it to be locked before she was stripping herself of her clothes again.
It was too damned hot right now.
Jon clearly had the same idea. Inside of a minute, they were both once more naked as the day they were born and curled up beneath one of the furs on the bed together. Dany wrapped herself around Jon from behind, curling the length of her body around his back and nuzzling into his neck.
He reached up to his chest and held her hand, which was slack against his heart. "What do you think of Winterfell so far?"
"I think I didn't get to really see much of it today, but I already love it for the hot springs and the dire wolves," she answered quietly. "And this wonderfully fluffy bed."
Jon snorted. "All the beds here are fluffy. They all have furs."
"Will you show me around tomorrow?"
"Of course. We'll make sure you're dressed nice and warm—it's cold up here for a southern girl," he teased.
Dany's lips curved up and she planted a lazy kiss on his neck. She felt him shiver against her. "I think I'll be warm enough."
"Going to add a few extra layers?"
"I'm not sure I'll need them after I'm done fucking you in the morning."
Jon audibly swallowed and Dany giggled. Whispered into his ear. "Sweet dreams."
"Little minx," he breathed shakily, but she could hear his smile in his voice.
Dany closed her eyes, running her thumb lazily against his skin, and fell asleep to the warmth of Jon's body beside her.
Jon woke up in the morning with a strangled gasp, eyes flying open.
"Well, that was quick," Dany's voice teased.
His gaze whipped down to where his wife was leaning over him, his cock in her hand as she slowly worked him up to full mast. She leaned down, brushing her hair behind her ear as she lapped at him with her tongue before wrapping her mouth around the head of his member, eliciting another choked moan from her husband.
It wasn't the first time she'd done this particular action, but Dany had never woken him up in such a manner before.
She didn't spend too long pleasuring him with her mouth—the idea was to wake him up and get him hard. He could see her spare hand between her legs, rubbing at herself, and he was fully awake immediately.
They hadn't lain together since just before they left Braavos. Granted, a week or so wasn't that long, but they were still newlyweds eagerly exploring each other in the bedroom. Both of them were pent-up and hungry for their beloved.
Her eyes gleamed, full of mischief as she watched him. She let the head of his cock fall out of her mouth with a wet plop and her tongue darted out to lick at her lips.
Jon growled, thoroughly ruffled from her teasing, and lunged for her. Dany grinned unabashedly as her husband flipped them so he was on top of her. Now his head went down between her legs and she gasped as he serviced her with his tongue.
She was already slick with arousal. Jon pulled himself from the apex of her thighs, climbing up to bite at a nipple as he thrust into her cunt fully. Daenerys arched beneath him with a low cry, scratching at his neck and back as they built up a frantic pace in their morning tryst.
It wasn't long afterwards the he was resting his head upon her belly, hugging her close while she ran her fingers lazily through his hair. They were both sated, warmth and euphoria flowing pleasantly through their blood. They would have been content to lay there for some hours had they been allowed to do so.
A knock on the door shattered that dream.
"Jon? Are you awake?" Arya called.
"Well, of course he's going to wake up with you shouting like that!" Sansa scolded her younger sister.
Jon grumbled into Dany's tummy, causing her to giggle before he lifted his head and called back. "What?"
"Sansa and I are going to break our fasts. Do you want to join us? Or are you fucking again?"
"ARYA!"
Sansa sounded positively scandalized. Dany burst out laughing and Jon's crankiness evaporated at the sight of his wife so obviously happy. He felt a smirk come over his lips. "If I say aye, will you leave us be?"
"Aye to what question?"
"Does it matter?"
"No, I suppose not."
"Then aye!"
"Gross!"
Dany let out another peal of laughter and Jon grinned, pressing kisses to her belly until she swatted at him for tickling her. She called back to Jon's sisters. "We'll be out shortly, Arya!"
"Alright!"
Jon let out his own giggles as Dany lured him up to kiss him again, smiling largely against his lips. "Just as well, I'm famished."
"Well, we started the morning out right," he snickered.
"That we did," she agreed, beaming happily. Jon rolled off of her and she climbed out of bed to the pile of clothes on the floor they'd left the night before. He watched her bare arse as she walked, appreciating his wife's beauty unapologetically.
His eyes were drawn to her mound, flushed pink from their love making and dripping with his seed as she pulled her smallclothes on. Dany turned around, unsurprised to see him watching her, and smirked. "Later, my love. We've had our fun for the morning."
"We could skip the morning meal."
"I think not. We both need to eat."
His stomach growled at the prospect of food and Jon flushed. His wife giggled as he reluctantly accepted that she was right.
His mind was still focused on the recent and rather pleasant memory of their latest coupling. Jon pulled on his breeches and walked over to Dany as she pulled on her fur coat. She looked up at him as he took her hips in his hands, blinking curiously at his brooding expression.
"What? What's the matter?"
"Do you…" Jon pursed his lips and one of his hands slid 'round her hip to press flat against her naval. "We've obviously not been careful since we married…do you think—"
She seemed to read his mind and pressed her finger to his lips, cutting him off. Her eyes were conflicted, but soft nonetheless. "If your seed quickens in my womb, I shall never be unhappy about it, Jon. We both know our life together isn't going to be easy. There may never be a truly good time for such a thing to happen…so whenever my belly rounds with child, we must cherish it every chance we get."
"I know," he sighed. He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing deep the scent of her. "I just worry."
"And I love how much you worry. I love how much you care," Dany murmured and kissed him sweet, then took his hands in hers. "Come. We have a busy day ahead of us."
They broke their fast with the Starks in the Great Keep rather than the Hall, which was full of Lord Stark's bannermen at the moment. Jon showed Daenerys to a dining room used by their family on days when they wished for more private meals.
As soon as they arrived, a body covered in white fur padded towards them, tail wagging high behind it. Dany gasped with delight as Ghost rushed up to her and Jon, and she knelt to pet the growing dire wolf. "Well, hello to you, too!"
Jon grinned and knelt with his wife, just as eager to interact with the young, white wolf despite his more quiet approach. Ghost gave Dany a lick on her cheek and then shifted, rubbing his body against them so he could lick Jon next. Both of them came away with a coating of white fur attached to their clothing.
Not that either of them minded. Ghost certainly didn't care that he was covering them in fluff.
"Don't suppose the dragon is that affectionate in the mornings," Robb called to them from the table. Jon's brother was smirking at them. His own dire wolf was chewing on a bone by his feet—Grey Wind, wasn't it?
"Frostfyre likes to spend time with us, but she likes her space more than the wolves, it seems," Jon answered. He saw Arya sneak some of her food to Nymeria, which the young wolf quickly dispatched before Lady Stark took notice.
The whole of his family was already present. He and Dany barely sat down before one of the kitchen staff came in with fresh plates of food for them.
"Did you both sleep well?" Catelyn asked.
"Oh, it was perfect," Dany replied. "Spend a week flying on dragon back and camping on the ground, and an actual bed is a gift from the gods."
"I'm glad to hear it. You all looked exhausted yesterday."
"We flew as quickly as we could," Jon told her. "I wasn't sure how soon you needed us here."
"You got here faster than I dared to hope," Ned murmured, smiling at them. "But enough of that. I understand congratulations are in order. Arya said you two were wed not long before you left Braavos."
"That's right," Dany exchanged a beaming smile with Jon. Arya made a gagging sound and Bran giggled, much to Lady Stark's chagrin.
"That is hardly appropriate, Arya," Catelyn chastised.
"You didn't have to listen to them all night," Arya grumbled.
"ARYA STARK!"
Robb threw his head back and started cackling, and even quiet Ned chuckled as Jon and Dany both reddened. Sansa looked even more embarrassed about the subject than they did. Bran and Rickon were blissfully confused, but Cat only shook her head in exasperation.
"Already broke the new bed in?" Robb teased. "Looking to make some little dragons?"
Jon scowled. "Come on, Robb. We haven't even started eating."
"Speak for yourself," Arya snickered, biting into a biscuit.
"Well, I for one hope the two of you are blessed with as many children as you wish for," Ned told the pair of them.
"Thank you, Lord Stark," Dany said gratefully. "We hope for the same."
"Mm. Let us eat, and then we can discuss what awaits us today," Ned declared to his family.
They enjoyed their meal together for some time, talking amongst each other and catching up on some of the latest going-ons of their lives. Arya and Robb pelted Jon with questions about Frostfyre, while Dany managed to get Sansa, who seemed hesitant and nervous, to tell her more about Winterfell itself. Occasionally, Ned or Catelyn would interject briefly, but for the most part, the Lord and Lady of Winterfell were content to watch the younger ones interact.
Maester Luwin dropped by when they were almost done and handed Ned a few letters—no doubt word from ravens they'd received, as well as a few reports requiring his attention.
Ned shuffled through them briefly, but frowned at one of them. He passed the letter to Cat. "From your father."
Cat raised an eyebrow and accepted the letter, breaking the seal to read it.
Robb watched his mother as her brow creased into a deep furrow. "Not good news?"
"No," she admitted, setting the letter down and pursing her lips. "It would seem my sister is to wed Lord Baelish."
Ned's eyes jerked up from his scanning of the other letters. "Baelish?"
"Petyr apparently made quite the offer. Lysa accepted without even consulting my father. She just sent him a message saying she was to wed him in a few moons' time."
Jon felt absolutely clueless. "Who is Petyr Baelish?"
Ned sighed and filled him in.
Jon's mood worsened upon hearing that the snake of a man had been plotting against his family, and his fists clenched when Ned told them that Petyr had been essentially stalking Sansa when they were at the Red Keep. He might not have had a good relationship with his sister, but he didn't wish any misfortune upon her.
Sansa was pale when she heard what Baelish had been doing and looked rather ill. Catelyn as well appeared ashen.
"What happened to that sweet boy my father took in as a ward?" Lady Stark whispered, aghast.
"I do not know, my Lady," Ned reached for her hand, squeezing it gently in an effort to comfort her. "But the man he has become is dangerous, and he is no friend of ours."
"Would your dragon eat him?" Robb asked Jon tightly, as angry as his brother.
"I do not want her to become ill," Jon growled.
"Pardon me," Dany interjected, frowning a little. "But wouldn't marrying Lady Arryn make Baelish the ruling Lord of the Vale?"
"Not quite. He'd be acting Lord until Lysa's son comes of age," Ned explained. "But Robert is…he's always been a sickly child. And he's never been allowed to really grow up. His mother hovers over him to the point of madness."
"Lysa has not been of her right mind for a very long time now," Catelyn agreed softly.
"Baelish is in the Lannisters' pocket," Robb said. "If he takes the Vale, we'll have two enemies on our southern borders, never mind the Greyjoys to our west. We'd be surrounded."
"He won't be able to call the banners. He's acting Lord, not Lord Paramount."
"He'll be able to call them if Robert is dead. He'd inherit the title through his marriage to Robert's mother," Robb pointed out. An uncomfortable silence followed that troubling statement.
Jon rapped his fingers on the table. "Do you think your father would bring Robert Arryn here? If you suggested fostering him in Winterfell?"
"He might, but Lysa absolutely won't," Ned shook his head.
"Lysa couldn't stop him if Robert chose to leave," Sansa said. "He's the future Lord of the Vale. He outranks his mother. His bannermen would have no choice but to escort him to Winterfell if he ordered it."
"It could keep him safe," Jon agreed. "At least write to your father about the idea. If he can convince Robert to come meet his cousins here in Winterfell, it might save his life. Tell him what you can about what Baelish has been up to in King's Landing or hint at it somehow. As long as Robert is alive, he cannot call the banners against us."
Cat exchanged a look with Ned and he nodded slowly. "It's worth a try. Your sister certainly won't like it, but she cannot deny Robert if he decides he wants to go."
"I'll write my father a letter," she decided. "But if he says no, we might have to change our plans to deal with the Vale as well as the Westerlands in the battles to come."
"Not necessarily," Dany said slowly. "If we just need to get Robert Arryn somewhere safe, there is another option we can try to convince him with."
"What would that be?"
A smile curved her lips up as she turned towards Jon. "Do you remember how Visenya Targaryen won the fealty of the Vale?"
He tilted his head for a few seconds before a grin came over his face. "Aye."
"What story is this?" Catelyn asked anxiously.
Ned remembered well enough. "You are not kidnapping the young Lord Arryn on your dragon."
"It's technically not kidnapping if he accepts an invitation for a flight that just so happens to end up in Winterfell."
"Jon," Ned sighed.
He held his hands up. "It's only an idea in case we can't get Robert Arryn here through other means. I know we need to focus on Euron Greyjoy right now."
"Aye," Ned clasped his hands together, leaning forward on his elbows. "And we must have that discussion now before we formally introduce the two of you to the Northern Lords."
Jon nodded. "You've told them all about me, haven't you?"
"I told them the circumstances of your birth and why I chose to hide you. I told them why you left—to protect Daenerys from the Dothraki. It took some convincing, but they haven't revolted against us yet, so there's that."
His expression tightened. "That bad?"
"There were a number of critics who were not thrilled with the idea of Targaryens coming to the North, aye," his uncle admitted. "I had to play rather heavily on your Northern blood, and that you grew up in this keep with my own children."
"All of which is true."
"They need to see it with their own eyes. They need to see you behave as a Northerner," Ned sighed. "You know how they are."
"Aye," Jon sighed. "Well, it's a good thing we're here to fight a war. We'll prove ourselves through actions."
"If they're half as stubborn as you've told me, I must say I am inclined to agree," Dany pursed her lips thoughtfully. "They're not going to just up and like us because we offer pretty words about how Jaehaerys and Daenerys Targaryen have come to help them. They're going to need to see us in action, fighting for their cause."
Catelyn raised a confused eyebrow. "Jaehaerys?"
Jon looked from Lady Stark to his uncle, who seemed just as perplexed by the name. "You remember my Dragon Dreams, don't you?"
"Dragon Dreams?" Arya echoed.
"They're prophetic dreams," Dany explained. "Only those with Targaryen blood experience them. They don't always make sense and they always seem to differ. Jon and I—we dreamed of each other for years before we met in-person. He only knew to come find me in Essos, to fight the Dothraki, because I told him what was going to happen to me in one of our dreams."
"I thought that was what happened," Ned murmured. "Your note was vague, but it was enough for me to guess that Daenerys must've told you what her brother was planning to do."
"Aye," he nodded. "That was the final straw for me. Viserys trying to sell her was—"
He cut himself off and Dany reached up to take his hand and squeeze it. Jon had to close his eyes for a moment. "I couldn't let it happen. I'm sorry I left only a note to explain, but I was desperate."
"We understand. We only feared for your safety."
He dipped his head and then pushed on. "Back to the Dragon Dreams—Dany and I have been sharing them since we were…what, four name days?"
"Mm," she hummed. "I was still living in Braavos at the time."
"When we met in-person, it wasn't long afterward that the…well, setting of our dreams changed," Jon explained. "We used to dream of each other outside of Frostfyre's cave beyond the Wall. We assumed it meant we were supposed to be together, the three of us. Once we were—Dany and I started dreaming of the Tower of Joy, in Dorne."
Ned grew very still. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. "Your birthplace."
"We've been dreaming of them," he told his uncle softly. "My mother, Lyanna. And Rhaegar, my father. We've dreamed of Frostfyre when she was still so small. You never told me she was no larger than a cat when she hatched."
Catelyn's face was pale. The Stark children looked maddeningly curious, but their father was beside himself. "You got to see them."
"We have," Dany affirmed, nudging her husband to shake him from some of his melancholy. "Jon broods just like his father."
That got a smile to crack the solemn expression on his face. "Aye. You know, you told me Arya was a lot like Lyanna, but gods."
"Am I like her?" Arya asked curiously.
"Let's just say that if you ever marry, your husband will have his hands full," Dany giggled.
Ned snorted and Arya pouted, but she still seemed interested in the aunt she'd never met.
Jon bit his lip. "But we've gotten to watch them—we've seen the way they spoke when they were together in the Tower. Rhaegar thought for sure I would be a girl. He already had an Aegon and a Rhaenys, so he assumed I'd be female. His Visenya, I suppose, to complete the old set. Lyanna said I'd be male. She wanted to name me Jaehaerys."
"But she named you Aegon," Catelyn murmured, frowning towards Ned. "Didn't she?"
"She did," Ned confirmed gravely.
"They had the same idea we did—to hide Jon's identity to protect the Starks," Dany told them. "My brother had Dragon Dreams as well, or so we learned. He thought Frostfyre would hatch for him. A dragon in his dreams gave him a prophecy—'Father and Mother, and quickened by fire'. They assumed the dragon would hatch when the two of them had a child together."
"And she did," said the Warden of the North.
"Yes," Jon sighed. "But that wasn't the prophecy that came true for them in the end. Rhaegar had another dream before he rode off to war. 'Only death can pay for life'. That was the prophecy they fulfilled to hatch my dragon."
The room grew quiet for a time. Dany broke the silence in the end. "We aren't sure which one of them it cost to hatch the dragon. Whether it was Lyanna when she died giving birth to Jon, or my brother when Robert slew him at the Trident…maybe it was even both of them."
Ned was pale, his face empty of blood, but he steeled himself and tried to focus on anything but the prophecy that had left Jon an orphan. "But the other foretelling the dragon gave in your brother's dreams—who was that for then?"
"Maybe it's for us," Jon exchanged a glance with Dany. "Or it could be for our children, or our children's children. That's just it, we don't know."
"Best not to focus on it too much, then," Catelyn decided, frowning. "So…your name?"
"Rhaegar seemed to think House Targaryen might meet its end when Robert's Rebellion was finished," Jon answered. "He feared for his other children since Aerys wouldn't let them leave the Red Keep. If the worst happened, they decided to name me Aegon to protect the identities of the Starks—Lyanna meant to take me to the North if Rhaegar fell."
"And then I found you," Ned breathed. "And I took you North all the same."
"Aye. Neither of them wanted my name to be a lie…and my brother's name should be his alone, I think. So I've taken Jaehaerys as my name. I don't know why she didn't tell you what they wanted to name me in the end."
"She was so weak when I found her, Jon," his uncle squeezed his eyes shut, fighting tears. "Gods, she barely got the words out as it was. I don't think she had the strength to tell me what she wanted to name you."
Catelyn reached for her husband's shoulder, her touch a soothing balm in his grief. "She did the best she could with what strength she had left. Even if she couldn't give us the name she wished you to have, she sought to protect you with her last breath."
"She must have been a strong woman," Robb murmured.
"Aye," Ned let out a choking laugh. "And stubborn to boot. Lyanna—gods above and below, she could've dragged the whole of the Seven Kingdoms kicking and screaming to get what she wanted."
He needed a few moments to compose himself, regaining his fortitude. "You are certain then? That you wish to be known as Jaehaerys?"
"Jon has always been my name to those closest to me," he replied. "Aegon was the name I took to protect my family here in the North. Jaehaerys is the name my parents wished for me, and I think it must be the name I use for everyone save those I love."
"So I can just keep calling you Jon, then?" Arya prompted, looking a bit confused. "You having three names is already giving me a headache."
Jon cracked a grin. "Yes, little wolf, you can always call me Jon. Dany does the same."
"Good. I like Jaehaerys more than Aegon, but it's a mouthful. Jon is faster."
"It's his true name though, isn't it?" Sansa asked, frowning. "It's the name of a King."
"Call me Jaehaerys if you want, but I'm still getting used to it," Jon shrugged. "Jon is easier for the moment."
Robb drummed his fingers on the table. "On the subject of Kings…"
The room grew heavy again.
"We're not here to claim dominion over Westeros," Dany said flatly. "Neither Jon or myself want that. Certainly not now, in any case. King's Landing sounds like a nightmare the more we hear about it."
Ned nodded gravely. "That's putting it lightly. We barely escaped the Red Keep with my head attached to my shoulders. The Lannisters own the capital and the Iron Throne."
"What are you the rulers of, anyways?" Sansa asked curiously.
Jon took a breath. "We are the rightful rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. We are the Heads of House Targaryen, the Dragon King and Queen. The titles are there, but in reality, we don't rule much more than just ourselves. We answer to no one, but we have only a handful of people to follow us and nothing in the ways of lands. We certainly don't have a throne."
"You do have a damn big dragon, though," Robb pointed out.
"Frostfyre is our only saving grace," Jon admitted. "She's my sister and the most dangerous fighter in Essos and Westeros. Having her on our side is like having an army on wings."
"Your credibility as rulers in the Seven Kingdoms will be more respected when the dragon makes her strength known," Ned admitted. "It will certainly reignite the respect of old Targaryen Loyalists."
"We shall see," Dany looked up at the Warden. "What is the situation in Westeros right now? We've heard whispers in Essos, but beyond finding out that Robert Baratheon died and Joffrey rose to power, all we know is that Euron Greyjoy has risen in rebellion. We know that Joffrey and his siblings are illegitimate bastard children, but what else is going on?"
"The situation is dire, to say the least," Ned told her grimly. "Joffrey Baratheon is not Robert's trueborn son, as you've heard. They are bastards borne of incest between Cersei and Jaime Lannister. I've met some of Robert's bastard children in King's Landing, and the Baratheon blood runs strong in them. Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are pure Lannister.
"As far as the wars to come, things have been going from bad to worse. As you can imagine, Cersei was not pleased that I escaped King's Landing with Sansa and Arya. She and Joffrey have accused me of treason by attempting to usurp 'the rightful King' and are calling for my head. Tywin Lannister will not take such a threat to his legacy lying down, either—I'm told the Westerlands are already beginning to stir and prepare for war against the North."
Ned took a breath. "Stannis Baratheon and his younger brother Renly are also taking up arms, but they are of the same opinion as myself—they believe that Joffrey is a bastard unfit to sit on the Iron Throne. Stannis has proclaimed himself the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, and is preparing for war against the Crown. I meant to ally with him as much as I could, but I do not know if he will support us now that you have come to our aide."
Jon frowned. "Should you have called for us, then? You would have had the Stormlands…"
"Stannis would have had to fight through the Westerlands to get to us," Ned sighed. "It would have taken him months to reach us—if not a year or more. Had we been fighting the Lannisters alone, I might have tried for an alliance, but Euron Greyjoy's rebellion is a threat the North cannot handle alone, not with Tywin bearing down on us from the south.
"He commands the Iron Fleet, and now apparently has possession of a Dragonbinder Horn and a dragon egg. The Ironborn raids in addition to the Lannisters would have seen the North brought to ruin, and that would be before Euron hunted you down to try and steal Frostfyre."
"If the horn works in the first place," Dany pointed out, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "It's a relic of Old Valyria, built by Valyrian Dragon Lords for Valyrian Dragon Lords. It might not work at all since Euron doesn't have a drop of Targaryen blood in his veins."
"That may be," Ned admitted. "But the Crow's Eye is one of the most dangerous men I have ever known. Though he is the maddest of all the Greyjoys, he is intelligent, adaptable, and ruthless. I cannot believe he would bring an old relic from a bygone era, from a dead civilization, to war without knowing for certain that it worked."
That brought an uncomfortable silence down upon them. Everyone in the room knew that if Euron stole Frostfyre with the Dragonbinder, she would burn the world down.
"We don't know for certain how it works. We don't know how much control the horn will give him if he successfully steals my dragon," Jon told them softly. "She might be able to fight its effects. But I'd rather bring the fight to him than let him ambush us. At least we'd have a chance to destroy the horn before he can try to steal her."
"That was my thinking. You'd have a better chance at capturing and destroying the horn before it can be used against you if you had the North fighting alongside you," Ned agreed. "And if he has somehow gotten the dragon egg he owns to hatch—well, Frostfyre will still be massive compared to a young dragon. She could pluck it from the sky with no trouble at all."
Dany exchanged another look with Jon, both of them silent for some time. "We'll have to plan around getting the Dragonbinder and taking the dragon egg. I don't think it will hatch for him, but if it does, Frostfyre will be able to capture it easily enough. It takes time for dragons to get as big as she does."
Jon nodded. "We can add it to the clutch we already have."
"Clutch?" Ned frowned.
Arya's face lit up. "They've got three dragon eggs of their own."
Robb's eyes widened. "Really? What, your dragon laid them?"
"No. Frostfyre hasn't laid any eggs. These eggs were meant to be gifts for Dany's wedding to Khal Drogo, before Frostfyre and I told him 'no'," Jon admitted. "They're petrified. Time has turned them to stone, but we can sense life in them. It's hard to explain—I think the Valyrian magic in our blood responds to them somehow. There's a way to make them hatch. Frostfyre seems to think so, as well, but we don't know how to hatch them yet."
"Where are the eggs now?"
"Traveling here with most of our people, on Ser Davos' ship to White Harbor."
"And who are your people?"
Jon's lips formed a tight line. "Dany's handmaiden, Doreah. Viserys got her with child before he died, and her daughter, Visenya, is my newborn cousin. I've already gone about legitimizing her. House Targaryen is too small to turn her away."
That seemed to surprise the Starks, but only briefly as Jon went on. "Besides them, Dany's other handmaidens, Irri and Jhiqui—they were formerly Dothraki before they came into our service."
He took a deep breath. "And two of our Knights, Ser Barristan Selmy, and Ser Jaime Lannister."
Ned's mouth fell open in pure disbelief. "The Kingslayer—"
"We know," Daenerys cut him off, raising a hand. "Believe me, we know. We had the same thoughts you are no doubt having now."
"And yet you brought him into your service," Ned's brow furrowed deeply. "What convinced you?"
Dany took over and explained everything that had happened in Braavos, from the moment they were approached by Jaime, Barristan, and Prince Oberyn. By the time she was done, the Starks were frozen and bloodless. Well, most of them. Bran and Rickon didn't seem to fully understand the implications, thankfully.
The two youngest Starks looked bored, but the older ones were horrified.
"Wildfire," Ned's voice was hoarse.
"Still spread around King's Landing," Jon said grimly. "He told Robert and Cersei. Robert didn't listen, probably didn't trust him, and Cersei—well, I'm not even going to guess what goes through her mind."
"I didn't ask him," the Warden whispered. "I thought he was following Tywin's orders, just as the Mountain and Amory Lorch did when they murdered Elia and her children."
"How do we confirm this is the truth?" Catelyn demanded, her face was ashen.
"The only way to know for certain is to search King's Landing for one of the caches," Dany told her. "But Ser Jaime is useful to us even beyond that. He's already confessed to us that he and Cersei are the true parents of Joffrey and his siblings."
Robb glanced at his father. "If he testifies to the whole of the Seven Kingdoms that the King on the Iron Throne is a bastard, they'll all rebel against the Lannisters. Even Tywin and the Westerlands won't withstand that kind of assault."
"If we can get word that far south in the first place," Catelyn pointed out.
"Ser Davos will want to return to Stannis Baratheon's side once he leaves Jon's people with us at White Harbor," Ned answered. "He might be our answer. If Jaime writes a letter of confession to give to Stannis, he can do the rest of the work for us."
"It will still take months. Jaime won't arrive in White Harbor for another moon at least."
"We will deal with the Greyjoys for now and pray the Lannisters are slowed down by the Neck long enough for Davos to get word to Stannis in the south," Ned decided. "In any case, Tywin won't act recklessly. He knows Stannis is a threat. He won't be able to dedicate all of his forces to destroy us. That buys us time—maybe enough to deal with Euron."
"If it comes to it," Jon started hesitantly. "Frostfyre and I can raid the south. A single attack on Lannisport or Casterly Rock will force Tywin to withdraw."
Ned pursed his lips. "Something for us to consider if the situation worsens for us. I would rather not send you so far south without us to support you if it can be helped. For now—for now, we must confer with the Lords of the North, and see how they respond."
"Getting Robert out of the Vale before Lysa weds Baelish, Jaime Lannister coming to White Harbor, Joffrey, Cersei, and Tywin declaring war to the South, Euron's rebellion in our western seas," Robb listed off. "Have I missed anything?"
"Don't forget that we have to convince the Northern Lords that Dany and I are on their side. And we must convince them strongly enough that none of them will try to slit our throats in the night."
"They're too stubbornly honorable to do such a thing."
"Tell that to Roose Bolton."
"I will deal with Roose Bolton," Ned shook his head. "A man of the Flaying House he might be, but he's not a fool, even if he was rather outspoken when I told the North about Jon and Daenerys. Let's fill them in first, then see what comes of it."
He stood up, and with him, so too did the Starks and Targaryens, and the small pack of dire wolves. "I suppose we are ready then, are we not?"
Jon took Dany's hand. Ghost, who was quickly becoming rather fond of them, stood beside the Dragon King and Queen. "I suppose we are. Shall we, then?"
Dany sat beside her husband at the high table in the Great Hall, looking out over the Lords of the North.
Ned introduced them as Jaehaerys and Daenerys Targaryen and then dove into his briefing, which consisted of much of their conversation over the morning meal a little over an hour ago. Several times the men in the North made their voices heard, loud with shock or rage, and always they were silenced by Ned's dire wolf, Blackfreeze, either with a snarl or a thunderous howl.
"That concludes the situation at hand," Ned proclaimed and sat down. The Hall was bustling with voices.
It was only a matter of seconds before the Greatjon made the most prominent elephant in the room known.
"Do you mean to rule over us?" Demanded the Greatjon as he stared at Jon and Dany with suspicious eyes.
"No," Jon replied immediately. "We came because my uncle asked us for help. I grew up in these lands from the time I was an infant, Greatjon. I will not see my home ravaged by Ironborn raiders. My dragon and I will burn Pyke to the ground before they get within a hundred miles of Winterfell."
That got a few grunts of satisfaction among the gruff North men. Roose Bolton, ever the shrewd man, wasn't quite buying it. "And I suppose you'll be wanting our fealty afterwards? Your price for helping us?"
"If the North thinks we've earned it," Dany told him smoothly. "My husband tells me the Northerners are men and women of action, and I rather like to think the same of us. Pretty words are worth little to your people, are they not? Everyone in this room knows not one of you will trust us—much less declare for us—until you see us fighting alongside you in battle. Or do I have it wrong, Lord Bolton?"
That won them a few more nods, and a bit of relief amongst the Northerners. It was something of a novelty for them—speaking to rulers who understood the ways of their people.
"In any case, neither Daenerys nor myself mean to march on the Iron Throne anytime soon, if ever," Jon announced. "King's Landing and the Red Keep are cesspools of corruption and treachery—it is not a place either of us are eager to visit, let alone live."
"Where do you intend to live afterwards, then? Here?" Lady Mormont asked curiously.
She and Jon exchanged glances. "Ideally, we'd like to reclaim Dragonstone, the home of our ancestors. But we understand it is currently under the control of Stannis Baratheon. That is a subject my husband and I will have to deal with when we meet with him, but regardless of where we find ourselves after Euron Greyjoy and Joffrey Baratheon are deposed, we intend to remain allies of House Stark and the North, if you will have us."
The voices had lowered to quiet murmurs. There was still some suspicion, but Dany knew they'd never quell it completely until they proved their mettle by fighting in battle.
For now, it would do.
"Are we satisfied with our newest allies for the time being?" Ned demanded. When he got no loud declarations against his question, he grunted and pushed onwards. "Good. Then we can discuss our plan to deal with Euron Greyjoy and the Ironborn."
"We'll need ships," Lord Manderly proclaimed immediately.
"Aye," Ned agreed. "We'll capture as many ships from the Iron Fleet as possible and take them for our own. We can establish a base at Torrhen's Square once we drive the Ironborn away from their shores, move south to Flint's Fingers, and then sail for the Iron Islands."
"And how do you propose we capture that many ships?" Greatjon called. "Last time, we had the Royal Fleet to help us."
"This time you have a dragon," Jon reminded him. "Frostfyre will drive the ships to shore, where the men will surrender or die. If they attempt to fight, they will learn quickly that dragonfire is more dangerous than any of their arrows."
"They might not surrender, Jon," Theon made his voice known tentatively. "These men serving my uncle follow the Old Ways."
"My dragon incinerated a khalasar of ten thousand Dothraki screamers, Theon," Jon answered. "If I can make a renowned Khal surrender, I can make an Ironborn fleet bend or burn."
The young Greyjoy pursed his lips and nodded. "I hope you're right. Depending on how dedicated they are, they might destroy the ships before we can capture them."
That got some worried voices. Lord Glover spoke up. "How are we to capture Pyke if we don't seize enough ships?"
"Then we'll have to build ships," Ned proclaimed. "It will take time, but we cannot leave Euron Greyjoy alive and to his own devices. And this time, we must break the Old Ways of the Ironborn forever. There cannot be more rebellions after this."
"How do we manage that?" Lord Bolton asked.
"Euron and his brother Victarion will be executed," Ned stated flatly. "As will any other Ironborn who refuses to submit."
"We did that the last time Balon Greyjoy rebelled," the Lord of the Dreadfort reminded him. "And that clearly has not worked."
"No," Jon admitted. "And you are right in thinking it will not last. Three times the Ironborn rebelled for their Old Ways before they were stopped, and now they have done so again. They will never be satisfied. One day, they will decide to raid and rape and pillage again. If that is to come to an end forever, the Old Ways must be destroyed permanently."
Theon frowned. "How?"
"With Fire and Blood," Dany answered softly.
No doubt they would have asked further questions on the rather ominous statement, but the doors opened and a servant hurriedly ran around the room to Lord Stark with a letter in his hands. There were some quiet words exchanged as the Warden opened the sealed message and read it over.
He set it down after a moment and his face was set in a grim scowl. "Ser Tallhart has sent us a new report on the status of the Ironborn invasion. He had several of his scouts head west along the Stone Shore to search for ships seeking to flank us and they confirmed a small fleet of eight ships is heading north—possibly towards Bear Island."
Lady Mormont stood immediately, fury in her eyes. "Bastards! I must return home to stop them from ravaging my island!"
"You would never make it there in time," Jon replied, holding a hand up when she made to venomously protest. "Send a raven to warn them, but as for the ships—leave them to Frostfyre and myself."
Mormont faltered, as did the rest of the hall. Jon turned towards Lord Stark. "Your men should be marching to Torrhen's Square in a few days' time, right? I can take Frostfyre with Daenerys and we can scour the coastline to destroy any ships from the Iron Fleet we come across. We'll stop them before they can reach Bear Island and rejoin the army afterwards."
Ned furrowed his brow in thought. "How long would it take you?"
"If we leave tomorrow at first light, we can be at the Sunset Sea by tomorrow evening," Jon replied. "Then Dany and I will fly Frostfyre south along the coast to the Stone Shore. We could take a few days just to be thorough, but even then…we could regroup with our bannermen in a week's time at the most."
"That's it?" Robb demanded, stunned.
Dany smirked. "Frostfyre can fly across the Narrow Sea from Essos to Westeros in a single day. She is the fastest creature on the face of the earth. No horse, ship, or bird can compare."
The Northmen looked stunned, but Jon focused on Lady Mormont. "Send a raven to your home, warn them of the Ironborn heading their way, but tell them we have forces moving to stop it. With any luck, they'll only need to be on guard."
Mormont exchanged a glance with Lord Stark, who nodded. "I will show you to my solar once we are done here. We can have a raven flying within an hour."
"So be it," she decided, and her eyes bored back into Jon and Daenerys. "I must put my faith in you, young dragons."
"Your trust will not be misplaced," Dany promised. "The enemy will be burned and sunk long before they reach your island."
Jon nodded, and there was fire in her eyes and her husband's.
Jon fell back into bed with a groan after the long day they'd had.
After getting the raven out to Bear Island, he and Dany had spent no short amount of time in war council with his uncle, Robb, and the Lords of the North, planning their military movements up to Torrhen's Square. Their forces were to be mustered and on the move in two days time, and of course he and Dany were flying to deal with the Ironborn moving in on Bear Island first thing tomorrow.
"I'm going to miss real beds," Jon decided.
Dany laughed and moved to join him once she had changed into her nightgown, but a scratching at the door gave her pause. She opened it slightly and then laughed again when Ghost whined, trying to get inside. Jon smirked as his wife let the young wolf into their room, closing the door behind him.
Ghost wagged his tail and licked Dany's cheek when she knelt to pet him. "I'm going to miss you, too."
Ghost leapt onto the foot of the bed and curled up after making sure Jon got a few loving licks from him, too. Dany climbed in beside her husband, snuggling him beneath the furs as the dire wolf made himself comfortable.
"Well," Jon's voice was teasing. "I was planning on getting you out of that gown, but…"
Dany's eyes were glowing with laughter. "Another night, my love. It's not every day we get to sleep with a dire wolf to guard our rest."
"I wonder why he's so attached to us," he murmured.
"I think it's you," she confessed, and he blinked. "You've got wolf's blood in your veins as much as the blood of the dragon. All of his siblings and his father have taken a Stark for a partner—maybe he has chosen you for his."
Jon was quiet for a time. "I do not know if Frostfyre will like sharing."
"Frostfyre cannot guard your rest as he can," she pointed out, smiling. "Nor is she quite as wonderful a bed companion."
Jon grumbled and nosed at Dany's neck. "Not every night, gods forbid."
He felt her amusement as pleasant vibrations in her throat. "No, certainly not. I must make sure my poor husband is not left feeling unloved."
He hummed in response. Then sighed. "Is it wrong that part of me wishes for you to stay here, where you are safe and warm?"
"No," she admitted. "But I will not be happy without you here at my side, nor do I wish to let you fight without me. Though I am not yet as able a swordsman as you, I will no longer stand idly by while you put your life at risk."
Jon nodded and squeezed her gently, to which her hands came up to carve her fingers through his sable hair. He sighed at the contact. "I love you."
"And I you," Dany kissed the top of his head.
"When this is over," he murmured. "I want to take a few days where we spend time with my siblings. With my family. Maybe by then, Doreah and Visenya will be in Winterfell with us. You scarcely got to meet them outside of all this…politicking and war council."
"I know. I would be happy to spend time with all of them. They seem to be wonderful people."
Dany suddenly pulled his face up to press her lips against his. Jon sighed into her mouth, whispering against her when they paused to breathe. "There is a wolf on our bed."
"He does not need to go anywhere for me to kiss my beloved," Dany breathed back.
No, he did not, Jon silently agreed as he pulled Dany closer and kissed her sweet, for as long as they could before sleep took them.
Notes:
Gods, well that was more dialogue than I anticipated, but there was a lot to sort through and the chapter just got huge before I knew what was happening.
Next chapter, Jon and Dany meet the Iron Fleet for the first time! The Iron Fleet is less than happy about this particular meeting.
Frostfyre, however, will be having a wonderful time.