authorsnote: here we go

do enjoy

also, shameless lil plug: check out my new jon snow multific, 'Closer To Gods, Than Men' if you want jon x dance of dragons (no sansa tho I'm sorry) it is for you

songrecs: zombie - the cranberries

Dinner is, needless to say, a tense affair.

The dining room was arranged to keep everything separate, bar one chair at the Queen's table, clearly intended for Jon. Sansa didn't even bother whispering to him not to take it, knowing as she sat at the lower table, he would too.

And he did, she never had any doubt.

And that, was why (among many other reasons) the Northerners loved their King so and would never kneel to another; he was one of them, not some haughty ruler sitting above them, but with them, his people, Sansa at his side.

This was their way of ruling, not the foreign Queen who did so with a disdainful glare as she took her seat.

It was the same with the meal. The foreign Queen and her advisors spoke, laughed even, but it looked more like they were talking strategy, discussing plans for the council that would immediately follow the dinner.

Whereas the Northerners did things their way.

They told stories, they joked, they laughed, they drank their ale, Sansa sat giggling at Jon's side as he listened to one of the men talk about a hunt that had gone awry.

The Northerners had always been called 'different', what had her Father said once?

'The North can be held by none but a Stark, for the Northerners will only follow their own'

They would never follow a foreign Queen, no matter the cost.

Though, Sansa knew, she and Jon would learn that cost and learn it soon, they were prepared … or as prepared as they could be without knowing her, without knowing what she'd do, how she'd act.

But then, she didn't know them, didn't know Jon's secret, and didn't know how that might and could change everything.

Sansa's goal was to keep her family safe, the family that had just returned for that she'd die to keep in this world again, it could be a tall order, considering the enemies that surrounded them, which was why she would have to use all of her cunning, all of her planning, everything she had, for her family, for herself, for Jon.

He mattered more than all of them.

She wasn't sure when it had become that way, but it was, and she knew there was no changing it now.

"Sansa?" Said man's voice broke her out of her thoughts, his hand touching her arm, to which she turned to him with a smile. Jon came first, and she knew she came first to him.

She was no Queen, not as much as she secretly, almost ashamedly wished it, but she was as good as.

And so she would not be bullied by another.

"I think the war council is conveying" He said, nodding as the Dragon Queen swept from the room, and her advisors followed, a page soon hurried over to their table, requesting 'The Warden of the Norths' presence, not calling him by his proper title, and not inviting her.

"Come on" But of course, Jon was Jon, held out a hand for her, not hesitating for a moment, "The Queen requests us"

"Queens can't order around Kings" She said, her tone clipped, she put little stock in royalty in general, especially as she'd seen the ugly side of it, but Jon was what a King was meant to be, and he should be afforded that respect, any she might have had, or even could have had for the Dragon Queen was long banished.

Again she was reminded of Queen Cersei…

'Anyone who isn't us is an enemy'

It seemed they agreed on one thing.

"She doesn't order us" Jon said as he took her hand, and Sansa threaded her arm through his, this was a familiar picture to the Northerners as two guards flanked them, Ser Davos a few paces behind, Brienne too, and Sansa had no doubt Arya was in the shadows, she felt a pang for Ghost then, and Lady, but they'd do better in the North, they weren't Southern creatures, just like her and Jon, "I'm a King"

Sansa smiled at that, some of the tension bleeding from her shoulders in Jons presence, as it always did, "You know, you sound surer of that as each day goes by, and you are, the King, my King"

Jon smiled at that too, and Sansa felt a flutter on her heart, they had each other here, that was all that mattered, even as they reached the map room, and the war council …. A war council on which they were on opposing sides with the other Queen.

But they had each other.

"My Lord" He didn't flinch at the insult, he knew it was more insult to Sansa than him, who stiffened at his side, but he didn't nod his head, fuck he hated politics, he was good at it, better than he ever thought he could be, but he still hated it, "I didn't realise Lady Sansa would be joining us"

"Lady Sansa is the Lady of Winterfell" Jon said, as the guards fell into place by the door, the Queens lined the walls, as would his, Brienne nearest to Sansa, which he approved of, Ser Davos stood on his left, Sansa on his right, taking the opposite end of the table to the Dragon Queen, "She is a key member of the Kingdoms and should sit on the war council" He paused then, debated on his next words but forged on, "And as a member of my kingdom, I as the King can choose to include her in war councils"

He could feel the tension radiating in the room, but they were Northerners, they would not be bullied, not even when they truly needed the Queens help.

He had meant what he'd said to his family back in Winterfell, to Lord Stark, his Uncle he knew now, that he wouldn't bend the knee, even if it meant forfeiting the help; what use was defeating the dead if they were ruled by a potential tyrant at the end of it?

It was unfair to judge her for her Fathers sins true, but he wasn't taking any chances with the North.

Nevermind the fact Sansa would never forgive him, and thus his mind was made up.

Odd to him, that, that was all it took; his mind being made up. As Lord Commander he'd ruled over Castle Black, now he ruled over the North, and now he knew he had a claim to the South, regardless of his distaste for it. He was a ruler, a King, and he knew especially here and now, he had to act like one.

But then fingers brushed over his hand under the table, offering comfort; he wasn't here alone.

"Very well" The Queen said, tone clipped, she had her guard up, but then, so did he. "Lady Sansa said you would speak further of the issues you have brought here, why you haven't bent the knee at this council, and so speak"

Jon again did not flinch, but stiffened his spine, he almost regretted not wearing a crown, at least for the authority it would give him … almost.

He'd never be used to it.

"The reason we are here is for an issue far bigger than you, or me, or who bends the knee, or who rules what" Jon said, glanced at Sansa who offered him a tight smile, as much as one she'd offer him here he knew, and with that strengthening him, he forged on, "The dead"

"The dead?" The Queen said, eyebrow raised, he glanced at those stood around her; Lord Tyrion who offered a kind of smile, Lord Varys who he could not read, Greyworm, her commander whose expression was stoic, Messandei, her advisor who was as stoic as the commander. Her rulers and advisors, and yet, he looked at her.

He knew, just as he decided in the North, she did here, though he had Sansa, she didn't have that, perhaps in Tyrion, but he knew it wouldn't be the same, he was lucky in that way.

He had a Queen in a sense, even as the thought stirred something in him, she did not, nor likely did not want a King by her side.

But it had its benefits.

"Are we onto this again?" She said, tone dripping with sarcasm, but he'd faced down disgruntled members of the Watch, Wildlings who'd tried to kill him as much as talk to him and Northmen who'd put their faith in him, he was not intimidated here.

Nervous? A touch, but none of it showed on his face.

"We are" Jon carried on, not deterred, not on this, "The Others march on the Wall, they will seek to kill us all, to destroy everything in their path, men, women, children, everything" He paused then, glanced at those around the room, most looked unconvinced, "Before I was King I was Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, I saw them, I fought them"

"Lord Commander?" Tyrion asked, "You did rise high Jon Snow"

He shrugged at that, it was true but of no consequence to him, bastards could rise high it seemed, not that he was a bastard, he knew that now, though deep down he was sure he would always feel like one.

"Don't men of the Nights Watch who abandon face execution?" The Queen said, looking across at him.

"Aye, but I was released" He said, he had been, his watch had ended, not that he fancied explaining that here, he was already bringing them the impossible, it was perhaps not time to talk of his own rising from the dead.

He still didn't quite believe it himself, was thankful for it, but if it hadn't been him, he might not have believed it.

But then, he'd seen swords shatter on an Others blade before Longclaw had struck true, perhaps with such incredulity, he would have believed it.

"That is not the point" Sansa interrupted and he near smiled, she did so hate it when anyone wandered off topic, "We are here to talk about the enemy to the North"

"You are my enemy to the North" The Queen sneered, far more hostile to Sansa than him, which if anything made him more annoyed, his own usually stoic expression settling into something more of a glare.

One man in the room took note.

"We are not the enemy" Jon said again, "We are here to work with you"

"And yet you won't bow" The Queen threw back.

"No" Sansa said then, her head held high, not bowed at all, and for what felt like the millionth time, pride for her surged in him, "We won't, we need your help, but we won't bow" She paused then, gripped his hand under the table, he squeezed back, lending her his strength, as she so often did to him, "The North was taken from us, long ago, but we took it back, we won't let it be taken again"

"Maybe I should come and take it" The Queen said, and yet Jon noted there was little venom in her tone then, especially as she turned to look at him.

"You can try" Jon said, "Though by the time you get around to it after you conquer the South, the dead might already be knocking at your door" He said, he wanted to keep it on topic, felt like he was failing.

Perhaps Sansa had said it right, there was no reasoning with the Dragon Queen; had it been pointless to try?

No, he had to believe, they had, had to try, even if they went home with nothing.

But then, there was the Gods; what fought ice?

He knew what they needed.

"We need to mine the dragonglass under Dragonstone" Jon said, not what they needed most of all, but it was a start, and would have to be enough if they went home dragonless, "It has no value to you but is vital for killing Others and Wights"

"I read a book about Westerosi history once, about the Long Night" The Queen said then, linking her hands together, she was beautiful truly, but not the most beautiful he'd seen, it was easy to ignore it, as she threatened their Kingdom … his Kingdom. "It is a myth"

"No" Jon threw back immediately, "It is not"

"Clearly we disagree" Lord Tyrion stepped in then, "But, perhaps we can allow the mining of dragonglass as a good will gesture?" He asked, looking back to his Queen, Jon was happy at least that Tyrion didn't seem frightened of her; perhaps she wasn't a complete tyrant.

"I'll consider it" The Queen said, "For now, you can be my guests" Her tone was clipped, and Jon knew this conversation was coming to a close, "Whilst we figure out our … roles in this relationship"

"Of course" Sansa jumped in before he could protest, eager to return to the North, even as he knew they needed to stay, they hadn't got everything they required, but Gods he hated it here, "We would be honoured to be guests of your Grace"

Jon had always appreciated Sansa's political talents, but her ability to lie whilst seeming completely sincere, without even a flinch … it was quite terrifying. The calling her by her title was a nice touch.

"We will retire, shall we reconvene on the morrow when you have considered?" Sansa asked, and Jon swallowed down a smile, she was good at this, and once again he was thankful, as dangerous as it was, that she had come South with him.

"We will meet after we break our fast" The Queen said, and then swept out of the room in a whirl of skirts, Sansa turned and did the same, equals almost.

He followed, hand on his sword, guards falling into place as he followed Sansa back to her room.

They had much to discuss.

Plans to make.

And in truth, he just wanted to talk to her, to perhaps fall asleep side by side as they did in Winterfell.

He missed home, but he knew if he'd left her behind, he'd have missed Sansa more.

And that, though he didn't know, or perhaps just didn't acknowledge it … was at the heart of it all.

oooooof

no dany is not suddenly gunna be chill with losing the northern kingdom, she might not ever be chill tbh

also, this was a lil filler i know, but the next chapter is a DOOZY and will be probably 2x, if not more of the length

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