Author's Notes: Hey everyone, sorry that it has been so long since I last updated, as always I own nothing.
Sansa stared out at White Harbor as the ship pulled in. They had departed the Queen's camp the morning after the feast and had returned to their ship and set sail. Still under the flag of truce they were able to sail through Dornish waters without incident and had seen no Lannister ships when they passed through Crown waters. They saw a war galley flying a sigil of a yellow tower, burning, on a black pile, on a flame-red field. Sir Massey identified it as belonging to House Grafton of Gulltown.
"That is disturbing." He had said once he had identified it.
"How so?" Sansa had asked.
"I have not heard of the Vale having any war galleys, mostly lighter craft for smuggler-hunting, now they have proper warships. Depending on which side they jump to, they'll be bringing a fleet as well as an army and as things stand, I do not see them backing the King."
Now that they were back in White Harbor Sansa felt a comfortable sense of safety come over her. She knew it was illusionary and that dragon fire could quickly do away with it, but for now it felt real. The dragons were far away and Sansa just wanted to return to Winterfell and rest with her ghosts, but it was not to be. A detachment of soldiers bearing the King's emblem were waiting at the docks and informed them that the King wished to speak with them immediately. The soldiers escorted them through the city and up to New Castle where the King awaited them.
The King awaited them in a room off the audience chamber where Manderly lords normally held court. The King was seated at a table with a number of his knights and lords, though Sansa noticed that Lord Davos was still absent. On the table around which all were seated was a map of Westeros which covered nearly the entire table and was in its turn covered by numerous carved emblems to represent the armies of the various lords, Sansa noted that among them were carved wooden dragons. Sansa and Sir Massey both went down and waited for the King to signal them to rise.
"Were you successful?" The King asked simply once they had risen. Sansa allowed Sir Massy to take the lead.
"We met with the Targaryen girl Your Grace. Alas, it did not go as we hoped, she not only refused to depart from Westeros, she demanded that you yield. Additionally, Your Grace, I fear that she is as strong as she claims to be and may be stronger still soon." He recounted the battle against the Ironborn and the subsequent rescue of the Tyrells from King's Landing. Sansa noted that he said nothing of her receiving divine endorsement, though he did mention the Vale's increased navel strength.
"Your Grace I fear that she now has the Reach in addition to Dorne." As he spoke a bald-headed maester moved the carved roses away from the lions and moved them to the carved dragons.
"Her strength will be more than enough to move on King's Landing." This caused an outbreak of mutterings among those seated at the table, clearly unnerved by the prospect of facing dragons and all the forces that the Queen had at her disposal. All through this the King sat staring at the map, his teeth grinding. At last he held his hand up for silence. Once he had it he rose and began to pace around the table.
"She will not march on King's Landing, not yet."
"How can you be sure Your Grace?" Lord Wylis Manderly asked. The King made an impatient grunt.
"Look at the map! She cannot march straight to King's Landing, not if she has the sense that the gods gave a goose." He waved his hand at a collection of carved lions.
"The Reach may have gone over to this new usurper, but the Storm Lands remain loyal to King's Landing." His face twisted into a scowl of anger. Sansa suspected that the cause was the thought of his bannermen, the majority of whom had gone over to the Crown after the Battle of Black Water, fighting for his enemies. Her thoughts were interrupted by the King speaking again.
"If she marches directly to King's Landing the forces in the Storm Lands threaten both her flank and the lands loyal to her. If she wishes to march on the city with all of her strength she will have to subdue the Storm Lands first.
"Storm's End is still loyal to me and there are other strong castles as well. She will not find the Storm Lands so easy to take as Dorne and the Reach." He paused and stared intently at the map.
"The Lannisters and their allies aren't fools, whatever else they may be. They will not meet the Dothraki in an open field, they will take shelter behind their walls and not give them open battle. The Dothraki have no siege equipment and will not be able to reach them there."
"But Your Grace," Sir Godry Farring interjected; "The men of Dorn and the Reach have siege equipment. Also, even if the Dothraki cannot reach the lords in their castles they can waste the country around the castles and force the knights and lords within to yield." The King gave a cynical smile.
"If she is the benevolent queen that Sir Massey says that she claims that she is, then she will restrain them. If she is not, or if she is unable to so, then she will turn Westeros against her. Even those who are now allied with her may start to think about what will happen if she wins the Iron Throne."
"What of the Iron Islands?" A man Sansa did not recognize asked. "What are they doing?" The King turned to a man with the emblem of House Mormont on his breast.
"They have made no further raids on the coast, not any that have been reported in any event. It seems after what happened at the Shield Islands they are waiting for someone to make a move before they act themselves."
"What of us?" Sir Massey asked. "Are we planning to head south and face her?" The King shook his head.
"For now we must be content to let the thieves and usurpers savage one another, we have more urgent matters to contend with here." As he spoke his expression grew grave.
"I have been in communication with Lord Commander Snow. He has been sending men north of the Wall to look for signs of the enemy. He says that there are signs that they are closing on the Wall." At his words Sansa felt her insides grow cold and she saw that others, especially the Northern lords, felt the same. The King continued speaking.
"I intend to return to the Wall as soon as I may, but there are matters which must be attended to first. After he lost Winterfell Roose Bolton returned to the Dreadfort. It seems many of those who supported him have deserted him, but he still has a strong force under his command and could be a problem if left alone, I do not intend to leave him alone. I intend to lay siege to the Dreadfort. We shall take it and then we shall return the Wall to face what is to come."
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope you liked it, another setup true, but trust me when I say things are going to start happening soon. Till then, please pray for the Kimberly family Ace, Roger and Donny who went missing at sea and all who need prayer. Thanks and may Jesus bless you.