Chapter 2! Dany gives Jon her answer and reflects on her two upcoming wars. Dany and Jon arrive in Winterfell and break the news to the North. Thank you for reading! As always reviews are appreciated.
Daenerys
Daenerys was sure of one thing. That she loved the man standing in front of her. And here he was, professing his love and pledging himself to not only her cause, but her heart. So, for once in her young life, she did what she wanted. Not what her mad brother Viserys wanted, or her advisors.
"Of course, I'll marry you, Jon Snow" she let out.
Anyone who knew the man could tell you, he was an expert at brooding, but you wouldn't know it with the beaming smile resting on his face as he laughed.
Jon reached out and wrapped his muscular arms around her, picked her up and planted the biggest kiss on her lips.
Up above, the two dragons circled. Their cold demeanour seeping away and melting into a warmer one. They played with each other as sounds of screeches sounded through the icy plains of the North. To common folk, it would be easy as to mistake them as cries of anger, pain. But to the dragon rider, she giggled as she felt the happiness of her sons. Not just Drogon, but Rhaegal as well.
The dragons weren't the only ones looking down at the two lovers, out the corner of her eye she spotted all their closest advisors heading over. She quickly turned to Jon, wielding her most queenly voice, almost ordering him.
"Not a word! If we tell them now, they'll lecture us on the disadvantages, to how the North will see me."
Jon nodded his head in agreement. "Whatever you say, your grace". He squeezed her hand.
Her longest friend Ser Jorah, starting to speak. "Is everything alright, Khaleesi?".
The older man had long since proved himself from his previous betrayals. A part of Daenerys understood. He yearned for home; the usurper Robert Baratheon promised he could come home. Jorah had vehemently protected her for years, she had grown to love him deeply, even if not in the same way the knight did. She knew what his presence would do in North, he wouldn't be safe. She vowed to herself silently, no harm would come to him if she had anything to do about it.
Another voice continued after Jorah's. "We must get going, I'm afraid the longer we keep Lady Sansa and the Northern Lords waiting, it's the longer we give them to brood amongst themselves" Tyrion spoke.
She started to reassure her friends, "The Warden and I are finished speaking. We can continue forward to Winterfell". As she and Jon ventured away to remount their horses, she heard a final jest from the short Lannister man, "Yeah, finished talking". Missandei responded with a quiet laugh, shushing the man.
The next few hours felt like minutes as Daenerys spent the time to think about their next steps. Defeating the army of the dead, marching on Cersei? It seemed impossible now. A part of her pitied her. Of course, it was drowned out by the blinding rage she felt when she had heard of just how mad she had become. After their parley, she had executed four men for daring to mention how Daenerys had a dragon, how she would easily beat them. The threat of Cersei was diminished when she thought of the white walkers. They would be lucky to defeat the Night King. Daenerys had trained with Jorah and some of her Dothraki blood riders in sword combat just in case she found herself on her own. Maybe it was time to refresh her training, get Jon's help as well. She made a mental note to ask Gendry to work on a sword for her with the dragon glass they had mined.
Her heart bet just a little faster as the modest castle came into view, Northern soldiers guarding the entrance. She shot a look at Jon, who reassured her with a small smile. This was it.
"Here we go" she said, to no one in particular.
The gates opened as she trailed after Jon on her horse, Northern folks staring at her in wonder and disbelief. She looked up at her dragons as they caught up, screeching as the encroached a new environment. Some of the common folk screamed, others looked up shocked, some even reached for their swords, as if that would take down her fiery sons.
At the end of the walkway, she spotted a tall red head. She was beautiful, with piercing eyes. This must be Sansa, Daenerys thought. Jon had said the eldest Stark daughter took after her mother, Catelyn. Daenerys shuddered at the thought of the icy woman, who had made her betrothed's life hell in his adolescence. Next to Sansa was a shorter dark-haired girl. She carried a slender sword at her hip, stood strong wearing breeches rather than a modest gown like her older sister. And lastly, a dark-haired boy in a wheelchair. Bran, she thought. She felt uneasy as the young boy shot a look of recognition her way, they had never met before.
Sansa
Sansa seethed as the gates of Winterfell opened to let the Dragon Queen in. She remembered reading Jon's raven, where he had informed her that he had bent the knee. She had not yet told the Lords of the North, calculating her moves. How could he? They had worked so hard to retake their home, only for her half-brother to fall foolishly at the feet of the silver haired woman. Sansa recalled Littlefinger's words, they were both unmarried. Had her brother really fallen for what was between the Dragon whore's legs? No, he must be smarter than that. Her mother had always warned her, that the bastard of Winterfell would rise against them, take their birth rights. Maybe that day had finally come.
She studied the self-proclaimed Queen closer. Sansa was no longer that girl who valued valiant saviours, love, and beauty. But she felt a pang of jealousy as she started at Daenerys. She was beautiful, easily the most beautiful woman Sansa had ever come across. Her Targaryen features blended in with the snow behind her, her white furs and Northern style dress complimenting her well. Violet eyes peered back into hers from a distance, igniting a silent battle. Sansa watched as her brother dismounted his dark-haired horse and ventured off to the silver haired queen. She noticed as the Northern Lords looked curiously. Jon held out his hand to Daenerys, as she gracefully took it and dismounted her horse. He whispered something close to her, igniting a small laughter between them both. That was a rare sight for Winterfell, as they watched their King smile, something the brooding man did not often do. Jon then started to lead the Queen towards her, both smiling at each other as they ventured forward. Sansa cursed Jon in her mind. Oh brother, how could you be so stupid. Because, even from a distance it was clear.
The King in the North had fallen head over heels for the Mother of Dragons. Chaos was a ladder, and success at the top of that ladder. Sansa vowed to herself, the dragon queen will not have the North. I will not let my home surrender to another southern ruler, not to the daughter of the Mad King, the sister of Rhaegar Targaryen who had plunged the realm into war as he kidnapped and raped a woman of the North.
Jon
Jon prepared himself before he reached Sansa. He knew his sister would not be happy and neither would the Lords of the North. He started to speak.
"Lady Sansa, this is Queen Daenerys, she has agreed to help us in the coming war"
He was wary not to say too much as curious ears nearby were listening.
"Hello, Your Grace, Welcome to the North" Sansa forced, with a false sweet smile perched on her face.
"Your brother was right Lady Sansa; the North is beautiful. As are you" his betrothed responded, with genuine kindness.
Jon felt a pang of anger as he observed the interaction further, Sansa shot the Queen a cold look, looking her up and down as she mustered her next sentence. "The North is beautiful, but the last royalty who visited our gates executed my Lord Father". Jon shot her a look of anger with his eyes, urging her to shut the hell up. Before he could step up, Daenerys mitigated the situation.
"I hope you and your family will get to know me Lady Sansa, I do not wish to rule with fear".
He squeezed Daenerys' hand in support as Sansa led them to the great hall, the Northern lords following. He saw a wisp of dark hair running off to his left, he would have to talk to Arya later. He had been away to Dragonstone for many moons now, but the sight of the hall did not bring him any familiar ease.
He pulled out Daenerys' seat, motioning for her to sit in the to his left, as Sansa sat to his right. The Lords began to fill the hall, muttering between themselves.
"My Lords, I am happy to be back in Winterfell. As many of you now, I sailed to Dragonstone to meet with Queen Daenerys. She has agreed to help us defeat the Night King. Her armies are expansive, and she has two dragons." Jon gauged the reactions of the Lords.
They seemed agreeable, the Long Night was not far, and they knew they needed all the help they could gather. Lord Royce began to speak, as he stood as the spokesman of those around them. He looked straight at Jon, refusing to acknowledge Daenerys.
"My King, we have some concerns to share. We have heard tales of the Dothraki, they are savages. We fear for our women and children. What's to stop the Dragon Queen from burning us after we refuse to yield independence?"
Daenerys tightened next to him; Jon knew it was time. They needed to show strength. Daenerys stood and started to speak. "My Lords, I am not my father. I know he has brought great harms to House Stark and the North. I have fought White Walkers before with my Dragons, this threat exceeds my war with Cersei Lannister."
Daenerys stopped for a second, Jon noticed her eyes scanning the room. She then continued. "Although my Lords. I will not have my people disrespected while I am a guest in Winterfell. The Dothraki chose to follow me, to defend your home. You should be well to remember that" Daenerys said coldly.
Jon waited for the inevitable to erupt. Surprising him, Sansa beat Lord Royce and yelled from across the table.
"How dare you! You are a foreign exile; you have no right to threaten Lord Royce"
"I have every right Lady Sansa, as Lord Snow has bent the knee. The North will be under my reign after I retake the Iron Throne" Daenerys' retorted.
And that was it. Chaos.
Shouts were heard across the hall, insulting his betrothed. "Foreign whore", "False Queen", "Mad Queen", "King in the North".
Anger bubbled inside Jon. How dare they? Daenerys' had risked so much, given a dragon to save their sorry asses. They did not even know her. He slammed his fists onto the table, frightening Sansa. He stood up and barely controlled his yell as he spoke out.
"ENOUGH. I will not have you disrespect Queen Daenerys. She is right, I have bent the knee. Not just in return for her help in the upcoming war. She is the rightful Queen, she is fair and kind. Hells, she saved my ass beyond the wall. Without her, I'd be burning on a pyre right now"
"But Your Grace, we named you King in the North. You are eldest Stark male. The North deserves its independence! We don't trust her" the young Mormont girl exclaimed.
"Well, you should start, considering we will be getting married and joining our houses in the coming weeks" Jon responded bluntly.
You could cut the tension in the room with a knife as shit hit the fan.
