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Queen Sanira Stark - Caitlin Stasey
Book Three of the Winds of Freedom Saga. Follows The Lady of Winterfell and The War for the North.
Chapter Nine: Strengthened Alliance.
"I do not wish to go," Deston arguing shaking his head as he looked between his sister and brother, he could not believe what he was hearing; that they had sold him off to the highest bidder and now he was expected to leave everything he knew. He had always done as they had asked him, he had gone to be a ward and trained hard under the tutorage of the Karstarks; he had never questioned anything that they had asked of him.
"I know this is a lot to ask," Arthur said shaking his head, he honestly didn't want to agree to such a match for his younger brother but there would be no better offer for Deston. Deston was a second son, unlikely now to inherit anything since Arthur had two sons of his own now that secured the succession of House Tremaine in Aeredale.
"A lot to ask. You're asking me to give up everything," Deston snapped shaking his head and turning away from Arthur, he looked to Sanira hoping that she would argue in his favour only to see the look on her face. He looked away quickly unable to believe that they would send him south, that he would be sent away from the North instead of allowing him to serve the family like he had always wanted to. It was bad enough that he'd been forced to watch from the side-lines as the war raged on and he was kept away from the fighting hidden away like a child while his sister and brother claimed victories.
"If there was another way then we would take it Deston. But there is not and we need to keep the peace with Stannis," Sanira told him calmly, she knew that there was no way around such a match and they had to make sacrifices especially with what they knew about Jon. They needed to be able to offer Stannis something that wouldn't seem like a threat, Rickon was out of the question for that reason that he was a Stark.
"I would not ask this of you if there was another way. You shall be Shireen's Prince Consort, the father of her children," Sanira explained stepping closer to Deston, there were worse fates that could befall a younger brother and she knew that nothing would happen to Deston while he was in such a position of power.
"No better than Laenor Velaryon," Deston scoffed with a shake of his head, he recalled how ill-fated Leanor had been when he had married the Princess Rhaenyra and how they had wished that the Velaryon boys were not his. Perhaps he too would die so that Shireen could marry a man that she found to be a better match, the only bonus was that all of Shireen's uncles were dead by this point.
"What you make of the marriage is your own. Shireen is a sweet girl, I think you'll find you have a lot in common with her," Sanira said trying to reason with Deston who looked far from impressed with the fact that he was going to have to do this. The three siblings were silent knowing that this could very well be the last time that they were all together, Sanira and Arthur would bond to the North while Deston was to be sent South for the rest of his life.
"Stannis expects you to be in King's Landing within three months," Sanira said knowing that it gave him time to sort everything out and prepare himself for the trip. His entire life was about to be up-ended, he would likely never step foot back into the North if everything went to plan but there was no telling what the future would hold.
Deston nodded his head, he couldn't bring himself to look at Sanira nor Arthur doubting that he would ever forgive them for agreeing to such a match without even consulting him. The door to the chamber opened and Sanira turned to see Aiana stepping into the room, her lady looked uncomfortable about interrupting the conversation but she would not have come if it was not important.
"My apologises Your Grace but an issue has arisen that needs your urgent attention in the grand hall," Aiana said awkwardly, she had come right away when the guests had arrived before even King Robb had sent her. Sanira furrowed her brow, she could not imagine what would make Aiana so nervous that she had come here to speak with her at such a time. But the look on her longest serving lady told her that it wasn't something that could be ignored, Sanira made her way out of the room knowing that whatever was going on could only be bad news.
Entering the Great Hall, Sanira paused at the sight of several Ironborn that had gathered in the room; her eyes sweeping across the gathering to land on Robb and Yara who were in the centre of the Great Hall conversing. The room seemed quiet as she made her way to the centre, she ignored the looks from some of the Ironborn and the Northern Lords as she made her approach to find out what was going on. Robb eyed Sanira as she came to stop by his side, he nodded his head gravely at her as he tried to wrap his head around what he had just been told.
"The Iron Islands have descended into civil war," Robb murmured shaking his head knowing that this was the last thing that they needed right now, especially having heard from Yara that Euron planned to ally himself with Daenerys Targaryen. The idea that Euron would provide the Dragon Queen with boats to come to Westeros and overthrow everything that they had worked so hard to achieve when they had marched south to deal with the Lannisters. Sanira took a deep breath, she wished that she could have seen this coming but the look on Yara's face told her that the grim news was only going to get worse.
"My uncle has murdered my father, claimed the salt throne and has announced his intention of allying with Daenerys Targaryen," Yara stated bluntly, she saw no reason to beat around the bush and she knew what she had come here to do. It was not going to be easy and she knew that the moment that Euron found out what she had done then he would come after her to get rid of the only opposition that he had.
"He has married Arlenna Lannister," Yara admitted knowing that Arlenna was wanted in the North for her actions during the war and the murder of her husband, Rolan Tremaine. The room was silent at the news that Arlenna had finally resurfaced after all those months, King's Landing had been searched in the days after the siege had taken place but there had been no sign of her.
Sanira's face betrayed nothing of how she felt at the news that her mother had finally shown back up nor the fact that she had remarried to a man that planned to ally himself with Daenerys Targaryen. Inside she was furious, she wanted to strangle her mother and she wanted her to pay for the pain that she had put their family through with her selfish actions.
"Why are you here? To ask for our help? To swear loyalty?" Robb asked trying to understand what was happening, he didn't know why Yara had come here to them when the Ironborn tended to keep their issues between themselves. It didn't make sense that she would come to them, that she would willingly give them the information that she was giving without expecting something in return. Yara scoffed, she had thought about this long and hard and the last thing that she wanted to do was give the Starks an ego boast but she had nowhere else that she could turn right now.
"I think we both realise how bad it would be if Euron brought the Dragon Queen to our shores. My uncle is a madman that will watch the world burn if he gets his way," Yara said with a shake of her head, there was no winning if Euron was not stopped and she could not do that on her own without help. It wasn't her strongest point and she knew that she would have to concede some of her power to get the Starks to help her but it would be worth it if it allowed her to gain back her inheritance and bring her father's killer to justice.
"I shall bend the knee to the North, swear my allegiance in return for your support in reclaiming my home and bringing my uncle to justice for what he has done. I shall give the North and her realms, a naval fleet that the rest of Westeros will envy," Yara vowed knowing that this was the only way that the Iron Islands could survive, they had spent the last few years rotting away and picking fights with the North that they could never win. Perhaps it was time to cast aside the isolation that they had enforced on themselves and become a part of something bigger.
"You'd bend the knee to me?" Robb asked unsure that he had heard Yara right, he had never thought that he would see the day that he would be faced with another Greyjoy again. It had been hard when Theon had betrayed him and he wasn't sure that he had forgiven the man that he had once called brother; not enough to believe a word from his sister.
"I would bend the knee to her," Yara corrected looking directly at Sanira, a woman that she would bend the knee for after everything that she had seen.
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