PRISONER
Arya anchored the docks of King's Landing in the night. She waited until it was completely dark before she would make the transportation from the ship to the keep.
Dany was given a large black cloak to wear with a hood to cover her hair. She sat still confined in the storage unit, her head felt dazed and she was in and out of pain. Arya had not gone easy on her during the interrogation. Her face was covered in fresh cuts and bruises, her hair slightly stained with blood. The only thing that really bugged Arya was even though she was hurt, the Mad Queen's looks were still evidently beautiful.
When the night was dark enough and streets quiet, Arya roughly handled Dany to her feet and held on to her arm tightly.
"Keep up." Arya stated as she dragged her quickly from the ship to the wharf and then through the streets of King's Landing. Dany had to take a second look at the ruins and reconstruction of Flea Bottom. It looked so different…
Flashbacks of that day invaded her mind and she began to see fire… thick black smoke… she could hear screaming… soldiers yelling… cries… crumbling… destruction!
Dany stopped as another trance came on.
'No… no… not now…' she pleaded in her head.
"What are you doing? Hurry up!" Arya aggressively whispered tugging at Dany's arm.
"One moment please…" Dany gently whispered back as she brought a palm to her aching forehead. With the motion, her hood fell back and Dany seemed to hardly notice.
Arya, as quick as a shadow, yanked it back over her head and then looked around to see if anyone had seen. They were okay… for now. Her heart was racing and if she weren't pissed off and on edge already, that had just done the trick.
"What are you playing at? Do you want to get ripped apart by the citizens!?" Arya harshly whispered, grasping Dany's arm tightly. "Because that's what's going to happen if we don't get a move on!"
"Ow… please… stop… just stop…" Dany said quietly.
"Keep your voice down!"
"Just stop please… just stop…" Dany said again with a sob, her voice rising a little.
Arya looked around again to make sure no one was nearby to see them, she then looked at Dany oddly… She wasn't talking to her… her eyes were shut behind her palm and her breathing was heavy, almost hyperventilating… there was something off… something was wrong…
'Madness.' Arya thought.
After a few more seconds Dany's head became clear and she breathed steadily, trying to calm down. She looked to Arya who had of course, a look of judgement.
"What was that?" Arya asked without any such remorse.
"Nothing…" Dany shamefully replied looking down. "It's nothing."
Arya sighed, tugging Dany's arm again and was glad to see that she was complying.
"Didn't look like nothing." Arya spat.
They continued their way in silence without any extra hassle towards the Red Keep. Arya led Dany through a short cut she knew of that led to the dungeons. Dany was surprised to see how well Arya knew her way around.
"You'll be spending the night down here," said Arya.
Dany stopped.
"Here?" she questioned. "You mean to place me in a cell?"
Arya turned back to her.
"You seem surprised?"
"You do realise that I was once a Queen Arya…"
Arya snarked at that. As if that meant anything to her.
"That means nothing to anyone anymore… now you're nothing…"
Dany narrowed her eyes. Where was the respectful honour that the Starks were most prominent for?
"And that was before you turned into a murderous wretch that everyone now hates." Arya said, roughly handling Dany until they arrived at an empty cell.
It was cold, damp, foul smelling and dark. Dany entered without putting up a fight though she really wanted to speak on how Ned Stark or Jon Snow would have never treated her like this… but, getting on Arya's nerves again was the last thing she wanted.
Dany stood in the darkness, scrunching her fists and looking down at the wet concrete floor before hearing Arya shut the door and lock it.
"I'll be speaking with the small council tomorrow. There we will decide what we are to do with you. I wish you the best of luck with trying to get some rest in this horrible cell… oh and… I hope you come to realise just why I have put you here… it still infuriatingly confuses me how you still continue to think of yourself so highly and entitled after all you have done."
With that, Arya left and Dany was left alone in the darkness.
"I don't…" she whispered.
THE GOD'S WOOD
Jon stood alone in the God's Wood of Winterfell. He stared into the sap leaking eyes that were carved into the tree. He had a lot on his mind… He thought about Daenerys… about how she was still alive… it didn't make sense but to him it was a miracle. He smiled thinking about her. His children didn't know the truth… he may never have the courage to tell them…
'She was pregnant…' Jon thought.
He frowned, feeling guilt ridden. He had killed her while she was pregnant… He scrunched his fists tightly feeling hatred for himself. He wished he had never done it. From the moment it had happened it had never felt right…
He thought about Sansa… what would she think of him if she knew what he was thinking right now? He hadn't properly spoken to her yet. He didn't know if he wanted to. He loved her dearly but… she had been through so much and over the years it had made her heart cold and distrustful. Superstitious and slightly uptight…
"You're leaving?" as if on queue, Sansa asked as she walked over to join him.
"Yes… with Ed… he wants to come with me…" Jon replied with a smile thinking about his son.
Sansa did not return his smile but instead kept on a poker face that Jon noticed and grew slightly concerned about.
"Lyanna and Jai will be staying here in Winterfell… I hope that's okay with you?" Jon hesitantly asked.
He hadn't been nervous about her response to that before but he was now judging by the sour look on her face. He had expected her to just be fine with it because they were family but… he wasn't so sure now… There was a short moment of silence before Sansa eased up and smiled.
"Of course." she said.
Jon smiled back relieved… although he wasn't entirely convinced whether or not she was being honest… before he could question her on it…
"So… are you going to tell me what they told you?" Sansa asked.
She wasn't happy that he hadn't already done so yet. He hadn't really bothered to explain to her anything. Now was a test of trust. She knew exactly what they had told Jon and now she would find out if he would lie to her about it.
Jon sighed before he spoke.
"Arya has Daenerys…" he said. "They asked me to go and save her…"
'Truth.' Sansa thought.
Her eyes went wide at his words as she played off having not already heard of this information.
"Well… how did you respond!?" Sansa asked.
Jon sighed again. He prepared himself for what was to come as he knew that Sansa wasn't going to be happy with his decision.
"I'm in a very hard predicament… It's complicated… but… I'm going to speak with Bran and see what they're going to do…"
Sansa slightly hesitated before she spoke. This was going to be a very important question with a very important answer. It would determine her trust towards Jon entirely. She was putting his loyalty to their family to the test.
"And… and if he decides to execute her?" Sansa asked him.
She noticed Jon scrunching his fists tightly as he quietly glared at the weirwood tree.
"He won't. I won't allow it." Jon announced.
Sansa groaned angrily, disappointed with Jon. The fact that he had said it so confidently to her and didn't even try to mislead her was infuriating. After all Daenerys, the enemy, had done he still had a soft spot for her. Even after killing her himself he still had feelings for her! It made Sansa's blood catch fire!
"Our brother's the King Jon. Whatever Bran decides to do is final and… and if he decides to kill that foreign whore then so be it!" Sansa spitefully said.
At that insult Jon heatedly turned around to glare at Sansa. A sight she had never seen before. A sight that frightened her… she quietly gasped stepping away from him.
"Do not… do not speak about the mother of my children like that…" Jon firmly stated. Not to the Lady of Winterfell, not to the Queen in the North… but to his sister.
He had lost his temper. It took a lot to make him snap but Sansa had done just that. At the sight of her timid face, his scowl eased up into a hard look and he made sure to back off a little. Sansa pierced her lips together and narrowed her eyes at him. She turned to leave but stopped midway… looking back over her shoulder.
"If you think you must negotiate with our brother then do what you must… I only want what's best for you… what's best for our family…" Sansa sadly replied.
"I know… but…" Jon looked up at her. "She's my family too…" Jon spoke.
'You love her.' Sansa replied in her head.
Sansa gave Jon a doubtful look and then nodded before turning away to leave.
TRUTHS AND LIES
Jon. He was so senseless so gullible and naive! How could he not see or understand why going to save Daenerys was so dangerous and harmful to the Starks! Sansa heatedly rounded a corner before bumping into someone.
"Oof…" Lyanna sighed as she was pushed backwards but quickly caught her balance.
The child stood up straight and became wide eyed at seeing a very grumpy looking Queen…
"Apologies, your grace, I was just-" Lya began but was then interrupted.
"Spying?" Sansa finished for her before glaring at the child and then made to strom off.
"Hey I wasn't spying!" Lyanna called out running after her Aunt.
"Really? Then how do you explain hiding around the corner?" Sansa questioned.
"Well… I wasn't hiding…" Lya quickly said.
Sansa slightly smiled at hearing the child trying to cover up her deceitful act! It reminded her of Arya when she was little. She looked down at the girl who was still following her.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Sansa rapidly questioned, wondering what the child wanted but not bothering to stop to find out.
"Oh... well… it's just… never-mind…" Lya said, suddenly stopping and looking after Sansa sadly seeing that her Aunt wasn't very interested in her. Sansa looked back and noticed the sad look on her sweet little face. She suddenly felt guilty for taking her anger out on her… she sighed and then turned around to walk back to her.
"What were you going to ask me?" she asked in a more softer tone.
Lya smiled but then pouted and Sansa almost blushed at seeing how graceful and beautiful she really was. She hated to admit that the daughter of the Mad Queen was such a precious little princess!
"What's the matter?" Sansa asked, leaning over to look into her niece's concerned and sad eyes.
"You… you seem to really…" Lya hesitantly began.
"Go on…" Sansa said, making her feel a bit more comfortable.
"Well… you seem to really… dislike my mother…" Lyanna said.
Sansa went tense.
"Uhhh… so you were spying…"
"I was listening…" Lya confidently admitted while crossing her arms.
At that Sansa stood up straight and clasped her hands together.
"Don't pay a thought to what I think of your mother… it doesn't affect how I feel about my brother's children… it's not your fault that you were born Targaryen's."
Lyanna looked down at her feet nervously. She didn't know how to respond to that… was she insulting her? Or was she genuinely being remorseful? Her Aunt was a hard character to read.
"The way you speak of my mother… the way you speak of the Targaryen's… it's filled with hatred…" Lya said. "Why? I mean… I've heard the stories of the Mad Queen but… not in depth and I know nearly nothing of the Targaryen lore because they don't really teach us that back where I'm from… in Essos…" Lyanna said.
Sansa became intrigued, wondering what her question was.
"Lyanna… where are you going with this?" Sansa questioned, also noting that this was the first time she had ever addressed her niece.
"I want to know." Lya said with desperation in her voice. "I want to know everything… who my mother really is… what the Targaryen's did to make you hate them so much…"
Sansa contemplated what her niece had just said. She probably wasn't the best person to fill her in on all of this… she didn't know if she could refrain from insulting the child's mother and lineage...
"Your lessons with the Maester start tomorrow." Sansa said, standing upright and turning to walk away.
Lyanna suddenly ran in front of Sansa to block her way.
"Yes but… I would rather hear the truth from you!" Lya eagerly said.
Sansa sighed in annoyance.
"No you wouldn't. I have no nice things to say about your mother or the Targaryen's." Sansa stated moving to step around Lya but she again, moved to blocked her way.
"My mother lied to me…" Lya said. "She lied about everything…"
Lyanna now had tears in her eyes… Sansa looked at her curiously…
"All I want to know is the truth… and.. I want you to tell me…" Lya asked.
"Why not Jon?" Sansa questioned.
Her niece looked down.
"I already asked papa… but… the way he explains things almost sounds… watered down…"
Sansa smirked, completely understanding what her niece meant by that. She looked around, noting that they were alone. She leaned over to look Lya dead in the eye.
"Your mother…" Sansa began. "Is a monster."
Lyanna gaped… her chin quivered as tears uncontrollably leaked down from her eyes.
"See… I haven't even spoken of the details and you're already crying." Sansa brutally said, standing back up and making to walk away again.
"No…" Lya said, wiping away her tears. "No… I want to know."
Sansa sighed. Her niece was looking at her with bright, big, teary, puppy dog eyes! She liked her niece... she was cute and she reminded her of Arya... and... a little bit of herself... She held out her hand for her to take it. They needed to have this long conversation somewhere more discreet.