I need to mention something, just to confuse matters, floors in a building have different naming conventions in the UK than in some other parts of the world. What we call the ground floor, some would call the first floor. Ground floor = 1st floor. 1st floor = 2nd floor etc... I am British, and I am allowed to dictate the naming conventions in my story.
It had taken almost a moon to reach Queenscrown. Rain hampered the speed of the wagon, meaning sometimes they would ride no more than ten miles in a day. Twice it had thrown a wheel, but fortunately they had brought spares and between the three of them, they had managed quite well to fix it. They slept in the wagon as it was covered, saving time having to put up tents and cots, although it wasn't particularly comfortable. Despite the lack of comfort, the time together had allowed them to catch up in ways they had not been able to do before. They had disclosed the full details of their journeys since they left Winterfell the first time to one another. Tears had been shed at their losses, and pain shared. A new understanding was formed, their bonds strengthened by the horrors they'd encountered along the way.
The first sign they were approaching the village was the view of the Queenscrown tower, where the merlons on top of the keep itself could be seen from a distance. Visible and identifiable, even from afar, as they were once painted gold for the visit of Queen Alysanne, some two hundred and forty years earlier. But the village and tower had been long abandoned, and without the care and attention, the paint had since flaked, and faded to yellow.
They came across the village first, where the tumbledown cottages made from daub-and-wattle; had mostly collapsed. The inn was small and made from timber, all that remained of the building was two cracked walls and a stone chimney. The inn was surrounded by apple trees, one even grew through the middle of the common room. In fact the entire village was surrounded by oak and apple trees, making it feel dark, but simultaneously protected, an illusion, because the reason the village was now deserted was due to the wildling raids.
South of the village was a lake with oak trees growing thick along the shore. In the middle of the lake stood a rocky island, which was where the round tower stood. Built not just for defensive purposes, it was also a tower house, although not large enough to house a high ranking lord as it wasn't big enough for a great hall to hold petitions. Arya dismounted her horse, while Jon and Sansa climbed down from the wagon to inspect the route to the tower, which looked to be far more complex than a simple path. Instead a stone causeway three feet wide, started out at the shore then ran beneath the waters of the lake to the island. Eventually leading right out of the lake to where the path comes climbing out of the water and onto the island. There it turned into a short flight of stone steps leading to the door of the tower.
On closer inspection, Arya could just about make out the causeway to the tower. The path was underneath the water and not even straight; instead it zigzagged a third of the way around the island before looping back. The turns looked particularly treacherous, with probable hidden stones on the path which were in all likelihood slimy and slippery from the moss which would have accumulated over the centuries. The water over the path looked to be at least two feet deep, probably more. The long path meant that anyone approaching the tower would be exposed to arrow fire from the slits within the walls. To get into the tower meant they were going to have to get wet, there was no way they were prepared to risk one of the horses, just for the sake of keeping dry.
They wandered around the village to get a closer inspection of the houses and inn. They decided the inn could be fashioned into somewhere they could stay with a bit of work. They needed to get settled into somewhere comfortable to live until the rest of the men arrived. They had tents and plenty of provisions to last them for months but they would still last as the land was fertile for farming. The problem was that none of them had any experience in farming or rebuilding damaged cottages. Fortunately. The men Lord Stark was sending would be experienced in that area. Instead. Arya, Jon and Sansa only had to survive until they arrived, something which they were all acutely experienced.
They cleared out the inn and chopped down the apple tree, gathering the fruit as extra food and firewood. Then they erected a large tent over the roof of the inn to give them a roof. The two walls gave them a small amount of extra protection from the wind and rain, which seemed to be non-stop, as well as the surrounding trees. All in all, they had managed to make the place almost cosy. It helped that the hearth was still standing, and keeping a fire going in the inn-tent was made easier. For the sleeping arrangements, although it wasn't proper, they were all sharing the common room, a dividing line between Jon's area and that of Arya and Sansa, who were sharing a cot. The inn was large enough to provide two bedrooms, a cooking area and somewhere for them to plan the rebuild of the village.
Until the soldiers and workers arrived, it was down to them to establish what was needed and how to rebuild Queenscrown. Of course Brandon's gift and the new gift were more than just Queenscrown, but that was where the capital of the wildling encampment was going to be. They just needed to ensure the wildlings would temporarily live by Westerosi laws in exchange for a town and land.
It was Jon who was able to give them the best insight into how the wildlings lived and what they would need for the land itself, but the town was the problem. They would need some form of trade to help them survive, and when winter came, the peace would not be kept, that was something Jon was certain of. Especially not with a hundred thousand men, women, children and giants, living in the area.
Queenscrown's proximity to the Kingsroad meant it would be the capital and main trading point between Castle Black and the south. It also allowed for the creation of many forges to make the dragonglass daggers required to destroy the army of the dead. Jon was hoping they would be able to destroy the whitewalkers and their army before they breached the wall. This was where they disagreed on matters as Jon still thought dragons would be the better solution to destroying the army of the dead.
They sat around the stump, which had turned into a table, drinking ale.
"Dragon's were what brought down the wall in the first place. We don't want them near it." Sansa sighed. "As long as the wall stands, we have some protection."
"Can they swim?" Arya asked.
Jon shook his head. "No."
"Then what is the problem?" she asked.
"We don't have an infinite amount of dragonglass." Jon sighed.
"Once you've taken Kings Landing, you won't need to worry about that." Sansa said. "As King, you will be in charge of the pyromancers, send them north to make wildfire. Throw it off the top of the wall."
"I thought it was temperamental." Jon frowned.
"Tyrion used it in the battle of the Blackwater. He managed to catapult it at Stannis' forces, which is what won the naval battle. It had to be moved and I'm sure it will be possible to make it here." Sansa suggested.
"We can't be certain." Jon said. "We may still need the dragons."
"How do you plan on making sure one of them isn't killed by the Night King?" Sansa asked, but Jon seemed to have no answer to that question.
"We need to think about this once Jon has the Iron Throne." Arya said.
"If I take the Iron Throne." Jon corrected her.
"Look, we were sent back for a reason. Bran knew what he was doing. He knew we'd make the right decisions this time. So whatever we are doing, must be right. We have to have faith in ourselves."
Arya couldn't argue with that statement, nor apparently could Jon. So Arya changed the subject. "What about those books you brought? Have you talked it over with Jon?"
Sansa shook her head. "Talked what over with me?" Jon asked.
"Kings Landing is not the north..." she started.
"I did notice. It's a lot warmer."
Sansa rolled her eyes. "The rules of etiquette are different. You are used to the northern way, but you must behave like a southroner when you take the throne."
"In other words, you were raised as a bastard, not the King of the Seven Kingdoms, you need to learn how to look and act like the King of the Seven Kingdoms." Arya was looking forward to Jon's outrage.
Jon's nostrils flared. "You want me to act like a Lannister?"
"Well, you have married your sister." Arya japed, immediately regretting her words as Jon and Sansa glared at her. How come she sometimes felt like the little girl her body claimed to be? She wondered.
"No!" Sansa sighed. "Your manners need to be impeccable. Never apologise, only to me and Arya in private. A King never says sorry. Always be decisive, commanding. Although, I don't think you have many problems in that area. Here," she handed him some books. "Read these, they will help."
Jon turned the first book over in his hand and looked up at Sansa. "Table manners?" he asked. "You don't think I eat and drink properly?"
"You used to, but after spending so much time at the wall and with the wildlings, I noticed your manners...slip a little." she shrugged.
Jon looked at the other books. "Dress, grooming, posture, addressing other Lords..." he stopped, looking at her with shock. "Am I really so uncouth?"
Sansa smiled. "Not to me, but when you are dealing with the likes of the Tyrells and the Lannister's, you must appear perfect. I will help with the clothes..." Jon pinched his nose and sighed. "Jon, if you are to be the King, you have to act like it. The King in the north and the King of Westeros are two completely different things entirely."
"You want me to act like Joffrey?" Jon asked.
"We've had a similar conversation. You are as far from Joffrey as possible. But..." she stopped and laughed, to which Jon also smirked, clearly this was a private joke. "But, there are some forms of etiquette you must follow. Read them and practise them with us. Even Arya could help."
Jon glared at her. "Seven hells, don't include me in your silly plans." she complained.
"You know how to act. He might listen to you." Sansa suggested.
"Ha." Arya laughed. "You're his wife. Get him under the thumb before he becomes King." she stood up, "It looks like it has finally stopped raining, I'm going to find somewhere to train."
Over the following week, they had the entire village to themselves, where they designed the forges, bakeries, a new inn, and shops. They still hadn't been to the keep, the trip there was too dangerous and would need a temporary bridge, which they simply didn't have the manpower to build. They spent the rest of their time training and Sansa giving Jon etiquette and subterfuge lessons. Arya was even showing Jon the art of water dancing, which seemed to confuse him and have him Landing on his arse more often than not. The highlight of Arya's day was always watching Sansa teaching Jon how to dance properly. Arya would tap the beat of the song with sticks on the stump and Sansa would sing while showing Jon the steps. At first his skills were no better than his water dancing, but over the course of the week, he improved, probably from fear of looking like an ass in front of five hundred people, as Sansa kept reminding him. Arya had to admit, she felt sorry for Sansa. The pain in her feet must have been worse than some of the injuries she'd received from training in Braavos, with the amount of times Jon stepped on her toes.
To make matters worse, Sansa had already made Jon a black velvet doublet, with a deep red and black, silk collar and cuffs. The red was only small leaf patterns running through the black, but it just added a little bit of colour. Arya was in stitches of laughter when Jon tried it on for the first time, he looked like a child who had had their favourite toy taken away from them. However he got used to dancing in it and walking around looking like an idiot, albeit passing for a King.
The day the soldiers and builders arrived, everything changed. Gone was the slightly carefree attitude they'd been able to exhibit, instead Jon became the Commander he was used to being, while Sansa suddenly turned into the Lady of Winterfell, much to the annoyance of some of the soldiers and builders, who assumed she knew nothing of how to rebuild a house, let alone a keep and village.
The day following their arrival, the men were put to work. The first job was to create a bridge to get to the keep. Jon had already drawn up the plans of how to build the bridge out of wood which could be pushed over to the other side and rested on the path just below the door. It didn't take long for it to be built as there were thirty men working on the design. It was in place and ready to be crossed within two hours of the start of construction.
Jon went first, carefully treading and holding the rail as he went along, carrying an unlit torch in one hand. When he reached the other side, he nodded to let Arya and Sansa know it was safe enough for them to cross. Sansa came next, followed by Arya who also carried an unlit torch. However, by the time she'd reached the other side, Jon had lit his, she touched the fire on his torch, which lit the oily rag at the end of he own torch, instantly setting it alight. Now stood on the island at the bottom of the keep, the tower turned out to be much wider than it had looked from afar; at least fifty feet in diameter by Arya's estimation.
The heavy oak door to the tower was slightly ajar, the planks of wood it was constructed from, were warped by time and weather. The lintel was low, but only in comparison to the entrances to Winterfell; none of the three had to lower their heads to gain entry. The entrance seemed to lead to what looked like a strongroom, probably designed to house the valuables of the owner of the time, although having one on the ground floor did seem a little odd to Arya. Above the strongroom was a murder hole, like the strange causeway, one of the many measures seemingly taken as a fortification of the keep. Whatever was once locked in the strongroom, must have been important for the amount of protection it had.
Steps built into the inner wall of the tower curved away to the left to the upper stories, and downward to the right into a chamber beneath them; At first they couldn't pass because both directions are locked behind iron grates. However, Jon was able to smash the locks with the sword he was carrying, allowing them to explore the upper floors.
They decided to first make their way down into the under-vault, the torches lit their way as there was no light in these rooms. Arya had expected them to be prison cells, but was surprised to find what looked like food storage areas. At the end of the room, there was a small door, which was only just higher than Jon's head. It led to a tunnel, which seemingly had no end in sight, but it led towards the shore, which Arya suspected was an escape route of some sorts. Leaving that room the three of them entered the other chamber underneath the keep. They had to carefully descend the five steps as it was dark, even with the torches. A great oak door greeted them, which squeaked as it was pushed open. Inside was an enormous room, similar inside to the Great Hall in Winterfell, a sight which surprised Arya. it must have been a hundred feet long and fifty feet wide, which would have taken it to the other side of the lake. At the other end of the room, Arya noticed a hearth, which was odd as anyone from the outside would have noticed smoke coming from the ground. She turned and looked at Jon and Sansa.
"Is there a building above here?" she asked, trying to remember her bearings.
"Aye, I think you. This room points north towards the village. I found a cottage just behind the lake, didn't think anything of it." Jon replied, as the three of them approached the hearth and looked up the chimney, where a tiny glimpse of daylight shone through.
"We might need to rebuild that cottage first." Sansa said. "This room could come in useful. We also need to know where the other room leads to."
"Wait here, I'll go." Arya replied, and made her way back to the room they'd come from. She opened the door to the dark tunnel and ventured into it, excited at what she might find. When they'd looked through the door, it had appeared to be quite long, but it turned out to be deceptively short. The tunnel wasn't even as long as the other chamber which contained the hearth. At the end of the tunnel was another door which led to a room, one that was far less interesting upon initial inspection than she could have expected. This wasn't some fancy escape route, it was a kitchen, a strangely large one at that. The size made no sense, as the rest of the keep, aside from the other underground great hall, was not particularly big. Arya looked through the cupboard doors, initially finding nothing of interest. However she saw what looked like a large, free-standing cupboard. When she opened the doors, it turned out that there was no cupboard at all, the cold air was enough to tell her that. She climbed inside and walked up the steps, to find herself in a large cave, overlooking the keep. It was completely surrounded by trees, a small stream ran nearby, which would hide the smoke coming from the kitchen fires. However it was the size of the cave which astounded Arya. She wondered if this was where Silverwing had stayed when Queen Alysanne had ventured north and stayed at the keep. Arya climbed back down the steps and made her way into the kitchen, closed the cupboard door and returned to Jon and Sansa, who were waiting for her.
"What did you find?" Sansa asked.
"A kitchen and a secret exit. It leads to an enormous cave. Big enough for a dragon." she added.
"You think it was where Silverwing stayed?" Jon seemed to read her mind.
"She wouldn't have been fully grown, so she might have fit into that cave." Arya nodded.
"We'll take a look later." Jon glanced over at Sansa, who nodded. "Shall we venture upstairs?" he asked, holding out his hand. "Ladies first."
They climbed the steps, past the entrance and to the first floor which turned out to be a maze of small cells. The second floor was a large single room with arrow slits, and the fourth was again a large single room which had normal windows. Eventually they reached the fourth floor, which again was a large round chamber, this time with arched doors on three sides, each opening onto a small stone balcony. Along the fourth side a door opened on to a privy chamber with its own sewer. The north-facing balcony opened out towards the village, but the southern view was obscured by the tops of the trees. More stairs led up to the access to the roof, which gave a far more commanding view of the surrounding countryside. The trees no longer obscured the landscape, instead not only was the town visible, but northern mountains were visible to the south, as were the plains of the Gift in other directions, although the wall was a little bit too far away to be seen. All in all, the view was breathtaking.
"Whoever lived here, would light a beacon from the roof when the wildling raiders came." Jon told them, his voice sounding faraway, as if he'd had this conversation before. Arya noted he distinguished between Freefolk and wildlings when it came to their less savoury practices.
"Jon, have you been here before?" Arya asked.
Jon nodded. "With Ygritte." he sighed. "I didn't want to say anything. But being up here... it brought back memories. I've never been inside, but we were here."
"What happened?" Sansa asked.
"Downstairs, out of this wind." Jon said as they made their way into the room below, which upon closer inspection, Arya suspected had been used as a bedchamber, probably the one Queen Alysanne herself had stayed in. They sat on the dusty wooden floor waiting for Jon to start. "I told you I was with the Freefolk and that we climbed the wall. I also told you I managed to escape. Well this is where we were, when I got away. There was a huge storm, lots of thunder and lightning. Raining cats and dogs. Ygritte thought this was a castle where kings and queens lived. So I told her about the Queen's visit. She wanted to live here." he swallowed at the memory. "An old man had taken shelter at the inn in the village, and had built a fire. Styr, who was the Magnar of Thenn, wanted him dead, for no reason other than to want him dead, and he wanted me to kill him." Jon closed his eyes and sighed. "I couldn't do it. Instead Ygritte ended up cutting the old man's throat. After that, they were ready to kill me. They had wanted proof I wasn't a man of the Night's Watch, and I couldn't give it to them. They knew I was capable of killing, I'd already killed one of their own."
"Your compassion gave you away?" Arya asked, Jon nodded.
"How did you escape?" Sansa asked.
"I was saved by a direwolf." Jon replied.
"Ghost?" Arya smiled, but Jon shook his head.
"It wasn't Ghost, I didn't know who it was at the time." he smiled. "But I do now."
"Who?" Sansa asked.
"It was Summer. He cut at least two, it might have been three, but it's a long time ago. I think I killed at least two, and the horse killed one of the Thenns. I escaped with an arrow in me, thanks to Ygritte." Jon shrugged. "She could've killed me if she wanted to, but she didn't."
"You loved her." Sansa looked at Jon carefully.
"Aye," he admitted. "I did some."
Sansa stood up, brushed the dust from the brown leather breeches she'd taken to wearing since they'd gotten to Queenscrown. She walked over to the north facing window and stared out. Arya felt sorry for Sansa, she had married a man who had loved two women in his life, and his future would be intertwined with them both. The one they'd just been discussing, happened to be in the near future. Of course Jon had promised not to hurt Sansa, but he would be heading north of the wall and would be spending a great deal of time with her. Of course, Jon and Sansa were still coming to terms with not being siblings and viewing one another as cousins. The idea of them being lovers, was something which Arya never wanted to contemplate, but knew it was a necessity. Suddenly, she felt very protective of her older sister.
"If you even dare..." she started.
"Arya, I wouldn't." he promised.
"You won't be able to father children if you do." Arya warned him.
Jon got up and made his way over to Sansa. "Sansa," he said.
"Do what you have to do. Just don't get killed." she replied coldly, still staring out towards the village.
"I am not the seventeen year old green boy I was when she seduced me. I don't need to prove I'm not a man of the Night's Watch." he turned her around, Arya suddenly wondered if she ought to leave them alone, but she waited to see what would happen next. "Sansa, you are my wife. I would never dishonour you. I saw how much it hurt Lady Stark. I could never do that to anyone, especially you." he told her. "All I need to do is talk to Mance. I'm not pretending to be one of them. I'm going to offer them a deal. They can come south as long as they abide by the rules we lay down. Most of those will be dictated to by the Watch." he rubbed Sansa's arm. "I know it will take time for us to come to terms with our situation. That doesn't mean I'm going to jump into the arms of another woman. I'm not that easily swayed."
Sansa whipped her head round to him, her eyes widened in surprise. "Really? It has never happened to you before?" Jon lowered his eyes, Arya wanted to laugh.
"You walked into that." Arya stood up and brushed the dust from her breeches and looked around. "I think this room will make a perfect bedchamber for you both." she smirked, turning her back on them and walking off, feeling their eyes burning into her back.