A/N: Longclaw: Hey everyone. This chapter is long, but the character development makes it worth it :)

With the Wuhan Virus going around, I hope everyone is staying safe and being diligent with their hygiene. We're going to get past this, my friends, and follow CDC or your corresponding government agency's guidelines in keeping clean and not spreading the virus around. For those self-quarantining and social distancing, both of us hope that this story can provide some respite from everything :D

Oh, let's say a prayer for Kristofer Hivju and Indira Varma to recover from the virus. Get well soon, Tormund and Ellaria!

BRuh4: Well, here we are again. With another longish one for our standards. Really interesting one, I think. Hope you like it

Enjoy.

Chapter 28: Reciprocation

Spoon clinking as he stirred, Aemon gingerly picked up the steaming cup of tea. A sigh leaving his body as he sipped the liquid. "Brewed from the gardens of Dragonstone itself… it's been ages but I never forget the taste."

Daenerys beamed. "They must not have had the same at the Wall, uncle."

"No. The cleanest air in the Seven Kingdoms, yes, but nothing quite as delicious." He bared a toothless grin at his great-niece. "I don't regret my life, but I did miss our ancestral keep." Aemon leaned back, sighing. "They all said Summerhall was more beautiful, but I always liked it here better."

What Aemon was describing equaled something out of her very dreams. "What was it like?"

Aemon blinked. "What was what like?"

"Growing up here, in Summerhall… being with more of our family." Before it was just you and I, dearest uncle.

A chuckle - Aemon knew exactly what she meant. "I wouldn't give up my childhood for the world. My father and mother loved each other, as did my father and my uncles." Memories flashed through his mind. "Uncle Aerys loved books, inspired my love for learning. Uncle Baelor used to take me and little Egg riding."

"Egg?"

"My youngest brother, Aegon V. My dearest friend." The smile that formed on Aemon's face had a touch of melancholy in it. All those he once loved long dead. "He was a shy but bright lad. So eager to please, so desperate to do great things. 'Kill the boy, Egg, let the man be born,' I told him last."

"From all I've heard he was a great King."

"Aye," Aemon nodded. "He was for most of his reign. Father wanted him to marry dear Daella, our sister, but rumor had it she cast a love potion to make him reject her." The two shared a chuckle at that. "No, he married Betha Blackwood - those two were deeply in love. Passion runs strong in our blood, my niece. You will soon find a man that you love desperately. He will feel the same for you."

Daenerys' eyes closed, frowning. "I highly doubt that, uncle."

"And why? You are beautiful and warm, and very smart."

The praise warmed her. "You are too kind, uncle, but think about it. Who could ever love a dragon?"

Ah yes, who could? For the woman that brought dragons into the world, could anyone truly ever see her as their equal? Not a woman to be dominated or someone to dominate either. "That is the curse of our family. If Targaryens answer to neither gods nor men, without another of our blood, who can we call our equal?" No one but another dragon. "I'm sad to say we sort of deserved this fate, the way we slaughtered each other. By the time I was born my father was already a hardened warrior. Fought in the Blackfyre Rebellion in which he helped kill his uncle and cousins… ended up killing his own brother too in a trial of seven." The maester sighed sadly. "Our family let our greed and mistrust led us to destroying each other."

"It's not too late to live up to our greatness, uncle."

"No, it isn't too late for you, but let our hubris serve as an example. Let my experience serve as an example. Rotting at the Wall as my family was butchered, only for my family to become those that would be inclined to hate me. Outcasts, petty criminals…" His unseeing eyes twinkled. "And one bastard of a great Northern House."

In spite of anticipating this to occur, the discussion of their bloodline had disarmed Daenerys. Thus a sigh left her lips. "Oh, uncle." She set her teacup onto the table between them. "I know that Lady Sansa sent you here as someone likely to obtain the release of her brother."

"I may be many, many decades removed from the Red Keep, but my political mind hasn't left me. That thought crossed me once or twice." He smiled softly.

"I knew what she wanted. It wasn't hard to tell," Dany said, pursing her lips. "Despite that, I couldn't refuse you. I had to see you. To speak with someone of my own House."

"You had your brother. Viserys?"

"I did," Dany nodded. "But… He wasn't a true dragon. Even though he often liked to call himself one. On top of that, he was hateful to me."

"I'm sorry, my child," Aemon sighed, taking her hands in his own. "It must have been difficult."

"I endured as I always have. But yes, it was horrid." Daenerys closed her eyes. "A gentle, happy boy, in the beginning, only to transform into a monster by the circumstances… While I understand it - even naming my smallest dragon after him - it doesn't excuse what he became." Emotion beginning to get to her, he felt a bony hand resting on hers. Aemon's touch calming her heart. "A person who was supposed to care for me did little caring. Selling me off to a horselord… all for nothing."

Aemon stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. A comforting, almost fatherly gesture. "Our hardships make us who we are."

"It just takes the right sort of person to take the proper lesson. I did… Viserys didn't." Dany sighed. "In the end, it was selfishness that cost him. I thought it would weigh on me, instead, I was surprised to feel a weight lifted off my shoulders."

Aemon frowned, "What do you mean, my child? You were… happy-"

"I'm sorry, Uncle, you misunderstand," Dany said, but smiled. "I wasn't happy, but I didn't feel sad about it either. His death allowed me to breathe freely…" All the words she brought up didn't feel right. "Viserys always regaled me of our House's greatness when we were young. He thought we still had supporters in Westeros that raised toasts in our name. I believed him for a while. But he was a fool."

"Inundated… Yes, I understand. I knew many like that."

"In the Khalasar, I was Khalessi. The Khal's… bride. I was praised and had many servants. I rode at the head with my Khal. I had a pretty white steed," Dany explained, remembering it all clearly. "While he rode in the back. He saw how they treated me. It angered him, I believe. When in the first place he was supposed to be King. He was the one who was supposed to be loved. After a while, he wasn't getting his army. He became restless. One night he burst into a tent where I was and threatened me in front of my Khal and his Bloodriders. At that time, I was also carrying the Khal's babe. As a result, he was killed. I watched the whole thing, and did nothing to stop it."

Aemon was silent for the longest time… "A mother dragon," he finally spoke. "Protecting her hatchling… I cannot say I do not blame you, nor that he didn't deserve to die." He sighed heavily. "My only regret is that he got to that point - I should have stayed in King's Landing rather than leave my family." A tear fell from his eye. "I should have…"

"Think not of the past, dear Uncle," Dany said, squeezing the old man's hand, as gentle as she could. "Often I also think of moments I experienced… What I might have done differently. But it's pointless because it cannot be changed. You are here now. We must look forward."

If I look back, I'm lost.

"Forward? Yes, I understand. What lays ahead for you, my dear child?"

"Victory," Dany was quick.

"I see. But at what cost? Lives will be lost in the fighting."

"Fighting cannot be avoided."

"I like to see the best in people, my child. When others just look for something to divide them. I think, sometimes people just want to fight for the sake of fighting. But Jon Stark, he was different. He was always someone I kept my eyes on."

Always back to Jon Stark. "Why?" Often, it grew annoying to Daenerys, but that changed after their seeming accord days before… Now she was simply curious. Aemon knew him before he was the Wrath of the North. "What's so special about him?"

"Jon, as I knew him, never wanted anyone to die. He never wanted anyone to get stepped on. Because, as you did, he knew what it's like to feel looked down on. Many of the men looked up to him. If he had stayed he may have become Lord Commander."

Dany bit her lip, thinking about it. "He rose quickly in Stannis' army," she finally said. "Or so I've been told."

"A true leader, I always thought," Aemon mused. "Long before he fought for Stannis, Jon was a spy north of the wall. He led the defense of Castle Black against Wildling invaders and giants. A task so tall that proud Lords even cowered in fear."

A man that charged straight into a Dothraki Horde… that faced a dragon down and didn't even flinch. There's no wonder that he refused to bend the knee - a man whose life was about standing against impossible odds.

Aemon continued through her silence. "Jon Snow or Stark as he's called now, was a true champion for those who never had plenty. That's why he amassed so many followers and took back his home. He was worth following for them. It didn't matter the odds, with him they had a chance. Stannis saw that in him. I believe that is one of the reasons Jon's loyalty belongs to him, however flawed the man is. Stannis gave Jon something even his father had failed to."

"Recognition," Dany whispered, finishing Aemon's thought. She frowned for a minute, taking in the old man's words. Realizing the wisdom in it, the fog beginning to clear about Jon Stark. Able to see past his stern exterior, to whatever may lie underneath.

"You can be the one who sees him for he truly is. If you wish."

Dany bit her lip, unable to say anything to that. Who he truly is… There was much about Jon Stark that was an enigma to her… Aemon helped peel some of that back, and the picture only grew ever more muddled.

"Jon Stark," Dany began. "I don't understand the man. I've asked a very simple thing of him and he refuses."

"Perhaps that's because he feels he gets nothing in return," Aemon chuckled slightly. "You ask much of him and require a lot. While he receives nothing. Relationships such as this are fueled by reciprocation."

"Reciprocation is peace. Prosperity. A better world..."

"And how does he know this? How do any of those in Westeros know any of this? Unlike those in Essos, they never saw your kindness."

Dany realized he had a point. "They can't see it until I win."

"Niece, please listen to me… You demand that he bend the knee even though you know he won't. Niece, you speak of breaking the wheel yet you haven't changed since the old ways. As your ancestors did, you demand your enemies bend the knee as if you are the true conqueror. That does nothing towards breaking the wheel that has been our history since the dawn of the Targaryen's reign. Perhaps, it's time you begin a different way."

Dany hung on the old man's words. It began to make sense. "Uncle, what sort of way? Tell me."

"Just as I said, child. Reciprocation. Give him something he requires. Take a step towards an alliance that benefits both sides."

"I sent grain to his homeland."

He nodded. "That was smart. But not essential. You haven't yet even considered him fully yet. You've only thought of yourself and what you require. He is a person as well. In many ways, your equal."

"Equal?" Dany nearly scoffed. "I am a Queen. He is but a lord."

"A lord of a powerful Northern house whose fealty you need. Don't think of it as Queen and subject. Instead, just two people."

"I see."

Aemon wouldn't assume to fully understand Jon, but he did know him well. Daenerys was in a place of uncertainty, mainly surrounding the Lord of Winterfell himself. The two of them up to this point had largely caused discord. Yet, it could be that together, they could be in great harmony. Unfortunately, it wasn't his place to recommend such a thing as marriage, but deep down it would be a lie for Aemon to say he didn't wish for it. He wished for his niece to be happy. Aemon knew Jon to be decent. Which Daenerys deserved at the very least. It could be that this turmoil the two of them found themselves in could just be a storm that would end. The sun could be waiting just through the breach. The warmth might melt the ice surrounding both of their hearts.

"But what do I know? I'm just a blind old man." His tiny smirk belied a japing mood.

Smiling, Dany leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "Thank you, uncle. You are the wisest among us."

"Plenty of people are wise, Daenerys. Very few love you unconditionally," he replied, causing her smile to widen.

Blushing from his grandfatherly praise - no torrid embrace from any lover so far could top the warmth given from the love of her uncle - Daenerys sighed. "You know, Jon Stark could have saved himself considerable grief had he not appeared mad."

Aemon's brows furrowed. "How so?"

Her uncle was from the Wall, and he wasn't raving insanely about some ancient legend as Jon had been. "You'd know just how mad it is… something about ice monsters north of the wall." She waved it off, chuckling.

Only Aemon didn't join in the laughter. Unseeing eyes hardening and lips curling into a toothless scowl. "Niece," he finally said, feeling every day of his nearly a century of life. "Let me suggest the perfect portion of the island that I think you should visit…"

Hand immediately rushing to cover his eyes, the harsh glare of the sun was welcome as soon as Jon's pupils adjusted. Hello old friend. The North and True North were never quite friendly to the white-yellow orb with the clouds that marred the sky there. He had heard from Davos that Blackwater Bay was stormy in the fall and winter months… but today the sun was out in force. A cloudless day. An auspicious omen…

"Move," came the gruff voice of the Unsullied Captain… the same one that had helped capture him and interrogate him. The five other troopers kept their spears ready to take him on if need be - a condition of why he wasn't bound, Jon supposed. If I am to be executed, this isn't auspicious.

They could have executed me inside.

Not by Dragonfire. The truth of that left a pit in his stomach.

"Where are you taking me?" he demanded in his best 'Lordly' voice.

A gruff response came back in Valyrian.

He snorted. "What?"

Jon suddenly staggered as the Unsullied commander shoved him in the back. "Shut it!" Wanting to punch the eunuch, Jon obeyed. What gain could there be in attacking?

Dragonstone truly was a beautiful place… in a rugged sort of way that Jon couldn't appreciate when first brought here in the dead of night. Vibrant green fields and gardens growing in the volcanic soil were dwarfed by the jet black of the keep and towering Dragonmont. Not the most picturesque location but… Jon loved it. It appealed to him almost from his very blood - such did confuse him.

The Unsullied led him down the winding stone stairs. In the distance, he saw the beachhead. One figure stood alone and he immediately knew it to be Daenerys. With those silver locks silver hair glinting in the sunlight, blowing in the wind, it could be no one else.

"So, I suppose I'm…"

Grey Worm cut him off. "Our Queen summon you. Touch her. You die." He leveled his spear at Jon. "Understand, Stark?"

"Yeah… I fuckin' understand." There didn't seem to be dragons about… There was a distant screech in the sky. At least not close by. Perhaps this wasn't the execution he'd imagined.

Following Grey Worm, Jon walked out onto the sand. The Queen had her back to them. But she turned around once she sensed their presence. Jon's gaze was unimpeded. He took her in fully. Of course, he'd noticed her beauty, it was impossible not to. Her leather dress was the same that she wore in battle, but without the dark cloak and with more… elegant boots, it was rather disarming. Showing off her slender, petite figure. There was no doubt that Daenerys Targaryen was one of the great beauties of Westeros… perhaps the world.

A seemingly uncharacteristic smile. "Ah, Lord Stark. Welcome."

Was it just him, or did she seem… almost happy to see him? "Not like I had a choice to be here."

Chuckling, Daenerys shrugged. "I'd think you'd be happy to get out of that stuffy room."

"What's this about?" Jon asked. Looking into the sky, seeing all three dragons overhead. "Feeding time?"

"Hardly, I need you able to breathe. Be quite a shame if you passed away suddenly," Dany replied plainly. "My children just like to be nearby me. No, I've learned of something that may be of use to you."

"What's that?"

"Dragonglass."

"What? Dragonglass? Here?" Jon gasped, truly surprised. He stepped forward instinctively but stopped when the Dothraki raised their blades.

Dany held up her hand to halt her Bloodriders. "Yes." Aemon had explained the find to her, and it didn't take an Archmaester to realize the importance of the substance to Jon. "As I understand it, you'd wish to forge weapons from it?"

She offered him a smile. One that very nearly took his breath away. "If we want to reach an accord, perhaps this can be a start."

"What sort of accord? If you're going to ask me to bend-"

"Would you like to see the dragonglass?"

Hard for him to deny, he didn't think she'd lie. "Yes. I would."

Dany extended her arm to her right, looking down the beachhead. "There's a cave entrance just down the shore. I've been assured there's a massive supply waiting to be mined."

"So what's the point? You going to dangle it in front it of my face only to yank it away?"

Dany didn't reply, only turning to proceed down the sand towards the supposed cave. Confused, Jon stood still for a few moments. The Dothraki passed by him, every single one staring him down. He figured he should just follow a few moments later. The Bloodriders parted for him to pass through to catch up to Daenerys.

Once he got back up to her, she glanced over to him and shook her head, "I wonder if you'll ever understand."

"Understand what?"

"That I'm not out to get you."

"Perhaps not, but you are out to get something from me," Jon said. "That's what bothers me."

"I want a better world, Lord Stark…" She anticipated his scoff. "I know you don't trust people that say that, but I do. What would convince you of my genuine desire in this?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Besides letting me go home?" A tiny smirk tinged his face, which she noticed - Jon chuckled when she smirked also. As before… it just seemed so easy to let his guard down with her. He had to marshal all of his inner strength. "Negotiate with Stannis. Take your army north to fight the true enemy."

"You are a very predictable man, Jon Stark."

Nodding, Jon absentmindedly gazed at the cliffs before a bat-like shape shot past him. He felt his heart race, years of combat experience and lessons from the one terrifying day where he had almost lost his entire army kicking in. Reacting in a split second as the green beast roared, Jon moved to crouch... only to slip on the wet sand - falling on his ass.

It happened in a split second. Head-turning around, Dany found Jon Stark. Sprawled out on the soaked sand with his jaw fallen slightly. Clearly shocked about the blunder he had endured - one that in battle would've likely killed him. Gradually, her lips quivered. Violet eyes twinkling in mirth, Daenerys finally started to giggle. At his resultant glare, the giggles burst into full-blown laughter.

Jon's eyes narrowed further. "Seven hells, it's not fucking funny."

Daenerys tried to clutch her side, recovering her composure only to fail miserably. "Brooding Jon Stark, the mighty Wrath of the North." She hadn't laughed this much in ages. It felt freeing. Joyous even. "Beaten by a patch of wet sand."

Finally pushing onto his knees, breeches drenched in the scratchy sand, Jon grumbled. Glaring one more time at the Dragon Queen… Daenerys Targaryen was a striking woman, no doubt. But here… happy and carefree. She looked incandescent.

"I do owe you greatly, Jon Stark." Dany wiped a tear from her eye, sighing pleasurably as the last giggles left her. "That laugh was sorely needed. Thank you."

He snorted, smirking softly despite himself. "Glad I could be of service to someone after my capture," Jon remarked dryly. Hearing a loud grunt, he looked up only to find the green dragon. It rested upon the cliffs, wingtips folded and claws gripping to the rocks jutting off of the edge of the grassy plain. It bobbed and weaved, staring at him with bright amber eyes. The gaze was… intense to say the least. "Do I have to worry about that?"

Shifting from Jon to Rhaegal, Dany chuckled. "Rhaegal? No, you don't."

Jon raised an eyebrow. The monster has a name? For some reason he assumed them to be dehumanized demons summoned into battle, not beings with names. Nevertheless, there was no difference to him in… Rhaegal's expression from the black one that very nearly roasted him alive. "Forgive me if I don't believe you."

"I know Rhaegal better than anyone, Lord Stark. That is not an expression of rage." Her smile faded into a scowl. "I resent you thinking the worst of my children."

"Children?" Now, this was fascinating - morbidly fascinating in the sense he was more likely to end up a charred roast but fascinating nonetheless. "Nothing but death follows those beasts."

Her palms balled into fists, nails digging into her skin. "They are not beasts, they are my children. The only ones I will ever have." Voice taking a melancholic quality to it, Daenerys looked up at the green dragon. "If you must know, Rhaegal… respects you. He's always been… sensitive. From what I know, he can sense a noble heart in you, Jon Stark - even if clouded in ignorance and brooding."

"And how am I ignorant, your Grace." He didn't mean to be completely sarcastic… it just came out that way.

"Dragons… they are keen creatures. They are intelligent and sensitive, more than just mindless monsters that burn everything in their path. That is not him, and that is not me, either." Silence from Jon. Dany turned to look at her dragon. Not her mount, but her child all the same. "Jikagon va se ēdrugon, ñuha tresy." The Valyrian flowed like a melody from her lips, Jon blinking at how the words meant to calm a dragon calmed even him. "Nyke kessa sagon sȳz."

Eyes trained on Daenerys, Rhaegal shifted to look back at Jon. Jerking his head back in a hoot at the dour northerner before slowly turning. Lumbering off to where he and his brothers had made their nest on the island of their mighty ancestors.

Silently, the two continued their walk, Jon remaining a fair distance away from the Queen in order not to spook the Dothraki. "Only children?" he finally said after several minutes.

Daenerys blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You said the dragons were the only children you'd ever have." Not that Jon was accepting of the idea that dragons could be children, but that was a different issue. "What did you mean by that?"

How could she have slipped up like that? To the Master of War to her greatest enemy no less, the information of her barren womb able to destroy her and her legitimacy. Daenerys wanted to kick herself. She wasn't that stupid, but for some reason, the secret tumbled out. Damn Jon Stark's ability to disarm her.

As such, she improvised. "I am not married, and there is no man out there worthy of me. For now… they are my only children."

Jon was confused a bit, barely comprehending her meaning. You know nothing, Jon Snow. Ygritte's words would bounce around his head every so often. This moment was no different. "I see," he ended up saying. "No suitors banging at the door of the Dragon Queen?" Then he laughed and gestured towards the dragons. "I wonder why."

Dany smirked, locking eyes with him. He did the same. Good thing they were walking on sand, not much to trip over. They weren't watching where they were going. For a moment, it was just the two of them. Two people on a stroll, sharing a look that said, what if?

But it was Jon that broke eye contact first. For he knew his mind was in the wrong place, or so he thought. Dany missed his glance immediately, her brow furrowed hard.

"Where's this cave?" Jon asked, breaking the silence.

Dany didn't answer right away, instead, watching the ocean waves crash down for longer than she realized. The salty air never felt better than in that moment. Finally, she did answer, "It can't be much further up the shore."

"Thank the Gods," said Jon, huffing. "I haven't walked this much in ages. Been cooped up too long."

"Perhaps with good behavior you'd be allowed to roam more," Dany proposed with raised eyebrows. "You must be stir crazy. I would be."

"I consider myself the model prisoner. Haven't tried to escape once." The fact that he pretty much couldn't escape wasn't lost on either. They followed the curve of the inlet, the cliffs above growing higher and higher as they cast a shadow far into the ocean waves. He wanted to chuckle at the irony of it all. When Sansa always spoke of her 'gallant prince' marrying her and spiriting her away someplace beautiful, many times it was at a glittering beach under a cloudless day. Here I am, walking down a sandy beach with a beautiful Queen. When boiled down simply, it sounded like a fucking dream come true.

But reality always interceded. He was no gallant warrior like Ser Aemon the Dragonknight and Daenerys was no stunning Queen that he was here to romance and sweep off her feet. I am a prisoner, she is my jailer, and the world is still the shit one we all know. Daenerys said she wanted to change it, but even when following Stannis Jon had no trust in any ruler to do so. Save my family… stop the dead… It was all Jon could ever hope of doing. Joy, love, children… they were never in the cards for the Bastard of Winterfell, father's name or no.

"Lord Stark." Her smooth, silky voice drew him out of his brooding thoughts - the ones that everyone said were exactly his father's. "I think this is it."

Blinking, Jon saw a curving lip in the cliff-face. No massive chasm that would allow for a boat anchorage but certainly one where men could enter two abreast. "Strange…" She raised an eyebrow. "Strange to have imagined Maester Aemon was a Prince once. Living in the Red Keep and… here." To him, the kindly old maester was simply one of the brothers of the watch, if a wise figure that was worthy of respect and listening to.

A couple of Unsullied were stationed at the mouth of the cave. They lit a torch for them. Dany decided to carry it herself.

Dany turned around when her bloodriders tried to follow. "Vo, tat vo jadat," she said sharply. "Anha zin sandi." There seemed to be a discussion, but Jon, of course, couldn't understand a word. Hearing the command, the Dothraki backed up a bit. Though their heated gaze didn't leave Jon. He wasn't sure why Dany forbade them from coming, glad for it regardless.

So, Jon followed Dany inside, glow from the outside growing weaker the deeper they walked. The two of them walked side by side, mere inches apart. Closer than they'd ever been, Jon unable to avoid her scent. Taken a bit off-guard, not in a bad way, actually, he liked it. A scent foreign to him, something from across the sea, he assumed. Sweet - vanilla and saffron with a small tinge of smoke. He wouldn't mind breathing it more often.

It didn't take long to reach a more open space. Where they could separate. Not that either jumped at the opportunity. A chamber wide, reaching taller than they could see. It was the walls that caught their eyes. Slowly, Jon approached for a closer look. Dany followed to provide light. "What do you see?"

Torch brought almost directly at the wall, the firelight reflected off the stone into Jon's eyes. "My gods…" Jon was absolutely stunned. "This is dragonglass…" Moving the torch to the side, he saw the cave spread out indefinitely. "A whole mountain of it."

Watching his almost reverent reaction to the immense walls of glittering volcanic stone stretching endlessly in all directions, Daenerys couldn't help but smile herself. Not just at the opportunity, but also seeing some form of genuine emotion from the Lord of Winterfell. His face had lost the brooding hardness, the stress lines of a life of hardship almost equal to what she had suffered. He looked… magnificent. If only we weren't foes, Jon Stark.

"There must be shiploads of it," he breathed, running his hands along the smooth dragonglass. To think he had risked his life trying to rescue a few spearheads and daggers at Hardhome. "Enough for a dozen armies…"

"Aemon mentioned this place to me," Dany admitted, walking around. "He thought you might like to see it."

If he said for her to bring me here… he would have wanted me to see what's within. Could have just been the dragonglass - or something else entirely. "He was right," Jon laughed. With a few fingers, he brushed against the cold obsidian, making sure it seemed real.

"You seem bewildered."

"I am," Jon gasped. "I've never seen this much. Or in this state. I've only ever seen a handful of daggers and spearheads. This… this is something else entirely." A gift from the gods themselves. "But, yes, this is what we need."

Dany felt content, seeing Jon Stark happy for once - for some reason, it brought her a joy she hadn't felt before. Almost like seeing the freedmen drop their collars before her as they cheered for their freedom, but more intimate. Daenerys was a Queen however and thus had to think like a queen. "You seem to think the dragonglass is free."

Jon's hand dropped from the wall, falling to his side. "Oh, here we go again."

"I want to give it to you. I am offering it." The cave suddenly felt colder, the Lord of Winterfell's brooding exterior back. "But this isn't the gift of foodstuffs. As a Queen, I can't simply give something this valuable to you for nothing."

He turned to face her. Pulling a face, "Just when I thought we were turning a corner. You take it back there. How many times do I have to say it? Do you honestly think I'll ever change my mind? Did you think a grand gesture such as this would do the trick? Think you can force me to hand you my home? While you reciprocate fuck all?" She hadn't at all committed to fighting the dead.

Reciprocation.

The word hit Dany in the head like someone threw a rock. She might've fallen. Jon stepped closer to her and she didn't stop him. "You only think of yourself." He told her. "I have my home to think of. It's all resting on my shoulders. I can't slip up. Why should I hand my kingdom over to you? What reason do I have? I'm open to suggestions."

"What do you want?" Dany asked him then. "You want to go home. I know. Is there anything else?" Her words froze him, though he rocked back away from her. She continued, "I realize I've been… difficult. I… I'm sorry. I've only ever done this one way. Normally it doesn't take this long. No one has ever fought against me as you have. Typically, I just… burn them, those who rebel. But, I don't want to burn you."

For the first time, in a long time, Jon was at a loss for words.

She approached him, nearly getting into his face… but her expression - while regal - wasn't that of a hardened monarch. It was pleading. Soft, almost. "I want you to join me. I want the North to join me." No man that her uncle so respected was unworthy. 'He is the ally you need,' as Missandei had once said. "Tell me how I can do that."

They locked eyes again. "I'm flattered," he said after a moment's silence. "But even if you manage to turn me to your side; the North will not accept you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Where the liege lord goes, the vassals follow. I may not have been raised in Westeros but I know its customs. How else did I secure the Dornish and the Reach?"

"You forget that House Tarly did not obey the call of Olenna Tyrell. That's how you lost the Reach." Jon enjoyed the moment's outwitting of the Dragon Queen before his face fell again. "How could I convince my people to follow you? You're a foreign Queen who held me captive and burned numerous Northmen in battle."

"I am not who they said I am. I am not who you think I am," Daenerys said, stomping her foot. "How can I help you understand that?"

"Not sure," Jon shrugged, shaking his head. "Maybe not killing my friends with dragonfire? Not holding me captive for weeks? I question why you wonder of my mistrust of you."

"Just when I thought we may be reaching common ground," Dany huffed.

"You know just where our common ground lies. Unfortunately, you lack the strength to deliver it."

Dany's eyes scanned over the hardened black rock - under the sheen of torchlight, it looked beautiful. She sighed, "I have little need for this obsidian."

Jon exhaled, wanting to just sit on the ground. Close his eyes and retreat into the serene blackness of sleep. "I'm tired, your Grace." Jon crossed his arms, then gestured to the dragonglass. "You said it yourself, you don't need the obsidian. Ship it to Winterfell, where my people can begin fashioning it into weapons."

"What reason do I have to do that?" Dany raised an eyebrow at him, hand on her hip. "Why should I give you something you want when you have no intention of returning the favor?"

"What you ask of me is ridiculous in comparison."

Dany had no reply forthcoming. Her great-uncle's words to her echoed in her brain. She pursed her lips, then walked over to Jon. In her hand, she held out the torch to him. He took it hesitantly. The flames were the only thing separating them. "I have nothing left to say I haven't already said," she told him. "If you want to further argue… I've no strength remaining for it. I'd hoped we could move forward, together."

"Together? The North can't give you what you want." He gave her a grim frown. "I can't give you what you want."

Dany wanted to scoff but didn't at seeing the pain in his eyes. "I've defeated many enemies," she said softly. "Yet, you, Jon Stark, are the most infuriating yet." A sigh. "And I simply keep coming back. Why is that? Why do I want your support and loyalty as above all the rest?"

Jon aimed to reply, but something caught his eye behind Daenerys. Down on a nearby wall, there looked to be a space to step through. A gap. With the torch, Jon approached the open space. Using the light, he confirmed his suspicions. "Hey, there's a way through right here."

Frowning, Dany felt as if he was making a jest. Yet when she examined it for herself, indeed there was a space wide enough for them to squeeze through. "You want to go through there?"

Jon looked back at her and shrugged, saying, "Might as well. Don't worry, if there's any snarks I'll let them eat you first." Then he tried to duck down, but something stopped him. A hand on his back. He froze solid.

Sliding by, Dany grabbed the torch on her way, "Don't worry, I've handled much worse than snarks. I'll go ahead." Jon was left stunned as she adeptly shimmied through the gap. He definitely didn't expect her to touch him. It wasn't like a command. Instead, a soft request. He followed after her as quickly as he could.

The gap was tight. But they both fit inside. She made it through in front of him. He heard her vocal reaction before he even got through the gap. "Oh… my. Come see this."

"What?" Jon asked before he fully reached the open space. As soon as he straightened himself next to her he saw exactly what.

It wasn't dragonglass. The walls and ceilings were just a normal volcanic rock weathered long ago by the sea. What so awed the Dragon Queen - and Jon once he emerged into the antechamber - was what adorned the simple stone. A vast array of swirls, some a simple white while others an almost glittering gold and silver painted on the walls. Geometric shapes as small as a finger to as large as a full-grown horse, weathered slightly from age. Preserved from the ravages of wind and rain being on the rain shadow side of the island.

And right in the center was a vast spiral. Surrounded by shapes of animals and trees, it was marked with various concentric circles that ended in jutting tendrils of dark gold paint. "I know this image," Jon said quietly. "This is what is placed around all the Heart Trees." It had been with Robb, climbing the trees in the Godswood when they first saw the patterns in the rocks their father had scolded them not to disturb. "It's a symbol of the Old Gods."

"The Andals controlled this island during the days of Old Valyria," Daenerys murmured. Amazed by the simple beauty of these drawings. "This had to have been done during the era of the First Men." Violet eyes glittering in the torchlight, she gazed at each of them.

"Before then," she heard Jon say simply behind her. Watching a specific painting quite intently. "This was a safe place, separated from the mainland by Blackwater Bay. It's why the Valyrians picked it… and why the First Men picked it."

Stepping next to Jon, their shoulders touching, Dany saw two sets of white lines drawn in the shape of men. One a trio of crude armored figures, the others mere outlines of far smaller ones - almost like children… "Children of the Forest?"

"Aye, the natural enemy of the First Men. They warred for centuries."

"They don't seem like enemies here."

He looked down at her, then surprised by how beautiful she was in the low orange light. He tried not to let it bother him too much. Only moments later did he find it would be a challenge. Though he had a reply. "That's because they joined forces… against a common enemy." Shifting the torch, shadows dancing upon the walls, he settled on another patch of wall. "Against them."

It was as if the temperature dropped to a freezing chill. One Daenerys never experienced before - and taking a look at what Jon showed her, it explained it all. "What is that?"

"That… is death itself. That is the threat I've been speaking of." Four figures, spindly as skeletons, but the random First Man that drew them had captured the haunting details better than anyone Jon had ever seen - as if transported directly to the shores of Hardhome. A sight he'd not soon forget. The three in the back had their maws gaping in silent screams, ice weapons leveled as if they were planning on charging. But the first… the horns on its head, frown on its face, and long spear embedded into an unseen ground was the Night King. In the flesh, so to speak.

Dany shivered involuntarily. "Gods…"

"Trust me, they are more frightening in person."

"They… they can't be real," she murmured, more to convince herself than Jon. At that moment, Daenerys felt weak. Powerless. As if all of her armies, all her titles, all her dragons meant nothing and she was back to being the scared little girl at the mercy of her brother and Robert's assassins. Against an enemy that can wake the dead… Though she wouldn't dare show any of this outwardly. Internally, her insides were screaming.

"You see," Jon laughed, somewhat unable to believe what he was seeing. "They were here. They carved these. Long ago. The Children and the First Men. Together."

"If people and small creatures learned to work together why can't we?" Dany asked him with soft eyes. "They were just like us. They were enemies. But they set aside their differences."

"But the Children and the First Men both understood the threat. They all knew what needed to be done. How little everything else mattered," Jon said. "You just want the Throne."

"It's not all I want."

"I've never known what you want. You're nigh impossible to read," Jon said, shrugging. "You're a Queen that only talks about your birthright - The Iron Throne. Hard to tell about anything else. I barely know anything else about you."

"Would you like to?" she whispered, her voice suddenly low. "To know more?"

Jon noticed her tone change, didn't know what to think about it. For the first time since he'd known her, the outer shell began to crack. He began to be able to see what she hid underneath her queenly persona. He saw her trying to reach out. He wanted to take her hand. But they didn't touch. If not for the fire of the torch, they may have pushed closer to one another. The heat between them was the only thing holding them back.

"Yes. I would."

"What would you like to know?"

This type of thing wasn't Jon's strong-suit. "Uh - erm - what's your favorite… fruit?"

She blinked. Lips quivering. "Really? That's what you ask me, Jon Stark?" Hand perched on her hip, Dany couldn't help but giggle. "If you must know, my favorite is peaches."

"I'll take your word on it - never ate one."

"Not many peaches in the North?"

"There was one tree growing in the Godswood… not that Lady Stark would let me eat them." Jon shrugged. There was little that Lady Stark allowed him to begin with.

Ned Stark's wife? Dany noticed there were some issues there, but she decided not to press. "Anything else?"

Jon met her gaze, simply watching her. Studying her, the supposed monster that burned his men, but yet captivated him all the same. That invaded his every thought, drew him to her for good or for ill. It didn't seem like the Dragon Queen before him.

"Why did you do it? Why did you spare me?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?'

"You could have easily killed me like you did the Blackfish. Could have let your sellsword torture me or your dragon just burn me right there. The Lannisters would have. Stannis did to his enemies." Jon was loyal to Stannis, but he couldn't lie and say the man was perfect. "Why did you let me live?"

Daenerys felt floored with the question. Stepping back, sucking in a breath. "I…" It really made her think. "You were a hostage. A valuable one."

"Horseshit," Jon barked. "You had my army. Every Lord in the North before you, and the Tullys. I was Stannis' top battle commander, too dangerous a threat to keep alive. Had the roles been reversed, Stannis would have killed you in a heartbeat." His eyes narrowed as she simply stared up at him, eyes wide. "Why did you spare me?" he ground out.

Closing her eyes, Dany shook softly. "I…" There was a time where she wanted to… where his insolence and arrogance made her want to just hand him over to Daario. But then Drogon… "I don't know."

A snort. "I think you know. You just don't want to answer." Do I want her to answer?

There was silence. "Would you have killed me?" He jerked back up at her words. "If the roles were reversed?"

"Stannis would've…"

"Not Stannis, you." Daenerys had never felt so vulnerable. She was ashamed of being so weak, but she couldn't help it. There was… something about him. "Please tell me."

"I don't think I could hurt you," Jon admitted, they both drew close then. Unable to stop himself, Jon brought his hand up toward her face. Dany did nothing to stop him. Two of his fingers twirled around a loose lock of her hair hanging in front of her face. She exhaled a breath she didn't know she held. "Even if I wanted to."

Neither of them spoke after that. The crackling of the torch became the only noise evident. She was just a few inches shorter than him, looking up at him. Slowly, the Dragon Queen nibbled on her lip. A Queen with carnal desires. By the way she looked at him with those violet eyes, he wondered if he could ever find the strength to deny her. Or even if he wanted to. Or if that would happen at all. To that point, he'd only pushed down any thoughts of that sort about her. But then, he allowed himself to dream. So much so he instinctively leaned forward. She gladly did the same.

"Khaleesi!" The guttural call of the bloodriders echoed through the cave. "Hash yer davra?!"

He pulled back, Dany's eyes fluttering at the loss of contact. Jon drew back as if coming to his senses. She felt an acute sense of loneliness but forced herself to shrug it off. Whatever moment between them - one she still had no idea about - was clearly over. "Sek," she replied, a little irritated. "Anha tikh tikh mra ahhaz." Dany turned back to Jon. "We should go." There was no room for disagreement.

By no means was Jon a womanizer. Far from it. His lone love had been a wildling who essentially claimed him for herself. He had no complaints. What he felt now was entirely different. Couldn't she do better than him? A former bastard from the North, what could he give her? She's a Queen. She can have anyone. Did she want him? There did seem to be something between them, something tangible. He felt it. He thought she did too. If not for the interruption, who knows?

He might've kissed her. He wouldn't have had any complaints. She probably wouldn't have either.

Only now, it seemed as if he'd never know.

In the end, she'd said all she needed to say. There was nothing more to say. The argument would last until the end of time. Unfortunately, she didn't have that much time to spare. The decision made itself. While the castle slept, she readied her things. She had been abundantly clear after all that she was serious. If Sansa woke up to find her sister missing there shouldn't be any guesses as to where or why.

It had been a long time coming. There was nothing stopping her now. Nothing will ever stand in her way again. Not even family. For nothing means more than crossing off names. Her purpose will be fulfilled.

Instead of saying goodbye, she decided to just leave. If she saw Sansa again, it'd be more of the same. She had no energy left for a discussion in which no one understands her side of it. But the thought of leaving without a trace left her feeling empty. She thought of Rickon more than anything. So before her silent exodus, she wrote a note. A small slip of paper sticking out from under her pillow.

The same morning, a handmaiden found the note. The lack of Arya's presence was somewhat alarming. With just the note in her place. For the next hour, word passed through the castle until the little note was placed in Sansa's hands. In a way, she was surprised to hear the news. After all, Arya did tell her she would leave. Though at the time Sansa wasn't sure she'd do it. But she was wrong.

Nevertheless, she examined the note. It read:

To Whom it may concern,

The North Remembers.

A/N: BRuh4: All the interactions we wrote were pretty fun to do in this one. I'd be interested to hear what you all think of the cave scene. A different twist than the one in the show for sure. The pieces are falling into place for Jon and Dany, but they aren't quite there yet. I welcome a civil discussion.

Tell us what you thought. The two of us are slaving over these, grinding them out. So I hope you're with us.

Longclaw: Here we see the Jonerys emerging out of the shadows. They are still very far apart, but cannot deny an attraction to each other - even though they will. The existence of the war still looms large, and it will not be resolved soon, I assure you.

Many didn't listen, but we told you we knew what we were doing.

We have a doozey of updates coming up and a lot of time on our hands to put them out, so if we can get 35 reviews by Saturday, we'll post the next update :)

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