I'm back! My bad, I legitimately forgot how long it's been since I last updated this fic. I'm here, now. Everyone, thank the Guest reviewer, because the comment about "not posting since March" truly kicked my ass into gear (seriously, thank you, I saw the comment and got to writing less than five minutes later).
Alright, since the scenes in Mereen are fairly limited in episodes 7 and 8 of season 5, I've decided to combine them into one chapter. This might've been one of my favorite chapters to write since I started this fic in 2019. There's some fighting, the rift between the twins has began to grow, and Tyrion finally pops back up (that's not a spoiler, it's a canon event). Unfortunately there's only mentions of Davvi and Vimor, but they'll definitely be back in the next chapter. Also, smut. Tasteful, mostly implied smut at the end. Hopefully. Which shouldn't be surprising as this fic is both rated M and a Game of Thrones au, the real surprise is that it took my 40 chapters to get to this point. You have been warned.
With that said, let's get this show on the road. As always, I only own my OCs.
Side note: If it's italicized quotes, the characters are speaking Valyrian. If it's bold, the characters are speaking Dothraki.
hāedar means "little sister"
mandia means "older sister"
Robb pressed a gentle kiss to Jae's shoulder, holding her from behind as they lay in her bed, larger and softer than his own. His right fingers played with the strings holding the top of her nightgown together, this one her usual red. Her skin glowed in the candlelight, which neither one had put out despite the sun having long set.
A week had passed since Robb's world nearly fell apart and built itself back up stronger, all within a single breath. But finally, finally, he and Jae could be together. "My love?" He murmured against her soft skin.
"Hm?" She mumbled in response.
"Nothing. I just like calling you that."
The princess huffed out a tired giggle. "Aren't you worried you'll grow tired of using it?"
"No." He grinned as she looked at him over her shoulder.
"So much confidence."
"Too much?" Robb sent her a wry smile, shifting so she could turn fully to face him.
Jae shook her head. "Somehow it makes you even more handsome." Shivers rolled down his spine as she ran her fingers over his bare chest, tracing the ridges of his abdomen that had returned after months of constant training. His thoughts drifted to the hours he spent with Ser Barristan.
His father once told him he was one of the greatest swordsmen in all the Seven Kingdoms. It was good to know Ser Barristan was also an honorable man. They were becoming more and more rare these days. And despite having fought for the Targaryen's during Robert's Rebellion, he only had kind words about Robb's father. "He was a good, just man. He deserved a kinder fate. If you are half the man he was, the world will be all the better for it." Ser Barristan had said after their first training session, back when Robb was frail and despondent.
"What's wrong? You have a faraway look." Jae asked, and he blinked down at her.
"I was just thinking about Ser Barristan. Something he said about my father."
His princess moved even closer, and he welcomed her into his space. "What did he say?"
"That my father was an honorable man. Which I knew." He gently moved her so her head was on his chest, silver-white curls spilling out everywhere. "His only dishonorable moment was fathering a bastard during the Rebellion, while my mother was pregnant with me." Jae hummed, and he glanced down at her. "What?"
"It's nice hearing you talk about your family. You rarely do."
Robb nodded, kissing her forehead lovingly. "It hurts to do so. It hurts to think about them. Sometimes, I wish my father had been less dishonorable. Maybe he would have stayed in Winterfell instead of being Hand to King Robert. But then," he sighed, "I would not have met you." He winced as she slapped his stomach. "What was that for?" Robb laughed as Jae scowled up at him.
"I won't be hurt if you confess to wishing you and your family were still together in Winterfell. That's not dishonorable. I would be sad, not to have known you, but who's to say we never would have met in the end? Hm?" She asked, and he snorted as she prodded his side with her finger.
"Alright, alright!" He laughed some more as he grabbed her hand, kissing the fingers that attacked him. Robb raised his eyebrows as Jae stared up at him, eyes shining with curiosity. "Yes?"
"Your father's bastard. Were you close?"
Robb found himself smiling, and nodded. "Very. We might have only shared our father's blood, but that didn't matter. Jon's my brother. But I don't delude myself. I know mother did not care for him. Sansa took after her in that regard."
"Where is he now? I mean, last you know?" Jae clarified.
"He should be at Castle Black, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch. Did your brother ever tell you about them?" Robb asked in return, and the princess scoffed.
"All Viserys spoke about was our family and his right to rule. In between calling me a kinslayer, of course."
"You're not a -"
"I know. Or at least, I've started to believe it." Jae smiled back at him. "Tell me about them. The Night's Watch."
"They guard the Wall which divides Westeros from the far north. The men protect us from the wildlings, though when it was first created, the Wall was meant to defend the realm against the White Walkers." He paused when he saw Jae frown. "Do you know of them?"
"All my brother told the Queen and I was that they were myth, meant to scare the children of the North."
Robb snorted. "He wasn't too far off, they're practically myth now since none exist - though the last man my father executed insisted he saw them."
"Why was he executed?"
"He left his post. All men who take the black swear an oath not to abandon the Night's Watch."
Jae hummed. "What if he was right about seeing the White Walkers? Dragons exist, and many believed they had all died off."
"Then Westeros is fucked." There was no delicate way for Robb to put it. "They'd bring with them an unending winter. The dead would rise and fight for them. We'd face the Long Night, as it was called over eight thousand years ago. Before the Battle for the Dawn."
"How did it end?" Jae asked.
"A group of First Men searched for the Children of the Forest during the Long Night. Legend says the Children ruled Westeros before humans, though not much else is known. Not of their culture, nor their history. It's all been forgotten."
"That's horrible."
"Aye." Robb kissed the princess's forehead. "People either believe they've all died, or they never even existed. But if one believes the White Walkers were real, they must also believe in the Children. See, only one man remained alive during the search. The last hero. He formed the Night's Watch when the Children agreed to join the fight, and eventually the Walkers were defeated in the Battle for the Dawn. They were driven back north, to the Land of Always Winter." He sighed and sat up, groaning as he stretched. "The world is fucked enough without any of that madness."
Jae hummed, eyes fluttering shut as she lost her battle with exhaustion. "It truly is. We should get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."
"You don't have to go." Robb was quick to respond, heart full of concern and dread as his mind went to the day that was to come. "You shouldn't be made to. You've already lived through the horrors that come with the fighting pits. To be forced to bear witness to them… your sister -"
"Is the Queen. Regardless of our issues she's under enough scrutiny as it is. The last thing Meereen needs is to see its ruler and her heir at odds." Jae mumbled. "The Sons of the Harpy might become emboldened by this, and then the freed will suffer."
Robb sighed, kissing her forehead. "I fear you're right, my love."
"Hm." The princess hummed, burrowing her face in his chest. He played with her white curls with one hand, the other caressing her back. "Tomorrow will be awful." Jae admitted. "I hate that I have to be in attendance. But I'm grateful that you'll be there."
Robb smiled at that, temporarily separating from Jae to blow out the candle. "Your troubles are now mine, Jaeni. They have been for quite some time."
Jaenarys sighed as she followed Daenerys and Hizdahr into the lower pits, just past the Great Pit of Daznak. Her desire to turn around and leave the Queen and her future King Consort behind strengthened the closer they got. It was Robb who she drew strength on, their arms linked as the moment they stepped out of the Great Pyramid. She was glad that Vimor had stayed behind without fuss, well protected by the Unsullied and under the watchful eye of Mossador. Daenerys saw the latter released, and he happily accepted Jaenarys's offer to have him care for her son when she could not.
"Sitting through the great games will be bad enough." She heard Daenerys tell Hizdahr. Robb pressed in even closer to her side, Jaenarys worried he'd crack his jaw with how tensely he clenched it.
"For generations in the days leading up to the great games, it has been customary for our ruler to make the rounds of the lower pits, to pay the fighters there the honor of her presence." Hizdahr explained, and Jaenarys snorted, drawing the attention of her queen and the former master.
"How wonderful for these fighters then," the princess began to explain, "for the leaders of the Free Cities paid me no such honor when I was forced to participate in the pits as a child." The Queen turned her head to give her a look while Hizdahr struggled to come up with a response, but Jaenarys only smiled politely back.
With a sigh, Daenerys sat on the loveseat, her betrothed happily sitting beside her. Robb led Jaenarys to the seats behind the Queen, holding her hand as they prepared to watch the fights.
"You may begin!" Hizdahr called, and the gates to their left opened. The heads of houses in attendance cheered as a group of men ran into the pit, some pushed ahead by who was undoubtedly a slaver.
"He freed them to fight." Jaenarys whispered to Robb, who nodded and held her hand even tighter. "Fucking bastard."
"Move yourselves!" The man below ordered in the common tongue, then hurried forward to greet the Queen of Meereen. "Your Grace. Your future Grace." He bowed to Daenerys, then Hizdahr, before turning towards Jaenarys. "Your Highness. You honor us all." Hizdahr nodded back, and the man ran around, adjusting the fighters. "Stand straight. That's the fucking Queen and Princess." Despite whispering, his voice carried on the wind. "We fight and die for your glory, O glorious Queen."
"We fight and die for your glory, O glorious Queen!" The men shouted in one voice, and were met by the cheers of the former masters.
Jaenarys kept her eyes on the back of Daenerys's head as the fighting began, metal clashing against metal. The Queen remained straight-backed and rigid as the men below drew blood.
At a particularly loud cry, Jaenarys's eyes flicked over to the pits, brimming with tears as a particularly young-looking man was impaled on a pike. The fighting pits were so very different from war, odd as that may seem. Soldiers - for the most part - fought for a cause greater than themselves, even if their enemy disagreed. The pits were only about survival; for some, glory as well. The Queen was a fool if she truly believed the men fighting were free. They were only free out of necessity, their buyer's desire to win. The masters would always be the true victors of the pits.
"My love, I'm here. Breathe." Robb whispered, and Jaenarys exhaled the air she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The princess sat frozen as throats were slit, stomachs split open, and heads lobbed off bodies.
"I think I've seen enough." The Queen said suddenly, rising. Her eyes met Jaenarys's, but the younger twin only glared back. She would not be showing the older any sympathy, not when she couldn't handle the consequences of her decisions.
"Your Grace, it is a tradition for the Queen to stay until the victor has emerged." Hizdahr zo Loraq was quick to interject.
"I've sacrificed more than enough for your traditions." Daenerys hissed in response, staring her betrothed down. Jaenarys hummed to herself, relaxing as Robb's thumb stroked the back of her hand.
The gates suddenly reopened, a man in leather coverings and a thin helmet running out. "Wait your turn, you piece of fucking filth." The slaver attempted to stop the man, receiving an elbow in the face for his troubles. Jaenarys laughed slightly, leaning forward to watch the new fighter with interest.
There was something familiar in the way he fought, ferocious yet graceful. His movements were calculated and sharp, side-stepping and striking. When one man swung at him with his morning star, the fighter threw his sword and struck his opponent with a shield, knocking him over and unconscious. In the end, only one other was left standing. He rushed the unarmed man with his club, only for his helmet to be used as a weapon, the new fighter knocking him down with it with a quick strike to the head.
Turning to face the audience, the victor tosses his opponent's helmet aside. He stalked up to the Queen and the Unsullied flanked her, spears out. Jaenarys stood, hand on Blackfyre's hilt, ready to draw the blade. She froze as the man removed his own helmet, revealing a face she'd never thought she'd see again.
Ser Jorah stared up at the Queen, his eyes flicking over to Jaenarys. She found herself unable to move, barely registering Robb standing beside her, shifting so he was half standing in front of her.
"Get him out of my sight." The Queen ordered, voice a quiet fury.
"Khaleesi, please, I just need a moment of your time." The Andal begged. Jaenarys flinched, his earnestness having not faded in the months since he was banished. "I brought you a gift!" He shouted as two men began to pull him back towards the gates.
"It's true!" A new voice called out. "He has." Jaenarys turned towards the source, watching in confusion as a dwarf in chains stepped forward. Robb inhaled sharply, and the princess stared up at him, concerned.
"Robb?"
"Who are you?" The Queen asked.
"That's Tyrion Lannister." Robb answered before the little man could. Jaenarys stared at him in shock, then back down at the man in chains. "You are a long way from home, Lord Tyrion."
"As are you, Lord Stark, though you look far better than anyone would have dared to imagine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. Your Highness." Tyrion Lannister spoke calmly to Daenerys, his eyes momentarily flicking to the princess's before landing back on the Queen. "I am the gift."
The throne room has never felt more tense, not even in the moments following the deaths of Ser Barristan and the Unsullied. The only sounds to be heard are the birds screeching outside the Great Pyramid.
Jaenarys stood on Daenerys's left, and Missandei on her right. Ser Jorah and his "gift" stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for the Queen to begin speaking.
Robb stood behind the princess, and she often glanced back at him, though his eyes rested solely on Tyrion Lannister. Remembering his rightful hatred of the family responsible for the downfall of his own, she was surprised by how calm he appeared in this particular Lannister's presence.
"Your Grace," Ser Jorah began, and Jaenarys's attention returned to the front, "Your Highness, I want to say -"
"You will not speak." Daenerys was quick to cut him off, then turned her focus to the little man beside him. "Lord Stark recognized you, which certainly clears up whether or not you are who you say you are. Why shouldn't I kill you, Tyrion Lannister, to pay your family back for what it did for ours."
"And for Robb's." Jaenarys added, ignoring Daenerys's sharp look.
"You want revenge against the Lannisters?" Tyrion responded. "I killed my mother, Joanna Lannister, on the day I was born." The princess flinched at his words. "I killed my father, Tywin Lannister, with a bolt to the heart. I am the greatest Lannister killer of our time. Save for Lord Stark, of course, who never lost a battle against the Lannister army."
"So I should welcome you into my service because you murdered members of your own family?" The Queen asked.
"I see you've welcomed the son of one of your father's usurpers." Tyrion replied, eying Robb. "And as for entering your service, we have only just met. It's too soon to know if you deserve my service."
The Queen did not appreciate his snark. "If you'd rather return to the fighting pits, just say the word."
The Lannister paused, then nodded. "When I was a young man, I heard a story about two babies born during the worst storm in living memory. They had no wealth, no lands, no army, only a name and a handful of supporters, most of whom probably thought they could use that name to benefit themselves. They kept them alive, moving them from place to place, until their brother decided he was man enough to look after his family himself." Jaenarys snorted at this, temporarily silencing Tyrion. "One sister was eventually sold off to some warlord on the edge of the world and that appeared to be that. And then, a few years later, the most well-informed person I knew told me that these girls without wealth, lands, or armies had somehow acquired all three in a very short span of time, along with four dragons."
Jaenarys's heart fluttered, her mind drifting to Davvi. She'd only managed to leave the Great Pyramid twice to ride her since their first flight, knowing not where the dragon flew to during the day.
"He thought the Queen and her sister were our best, last chance to build a better world." Tyrion finished. "I thought you were worth meeting at the very least."
"And why are you worth meeting? Why should I spend my time listening to you?" The Queen asked.
"Because you cannot build a better world on your own. You have no one at your side who understands the land you want to rule, Robb Stark aside." The Lannister answered, and Jaenarys eyed her sister, who'd not once sought the Northerners counsel, not even after Ser Barristan's death. "The strengths and weaknesses of the houses," Tyrion continued, "that will either join you or oppose you."
"I will have a very large army and very large dragons." Jaenarys resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the Queen's arrogance. She caught Ser Jorah's questioning gaze, knowing he was able to see the rift between the twins as easily as the sun in a cloudless sky.
"Killing and politics aren't always the same thing." Tyrion spoke wisely. "When I served as Hand of the King, I did quite well with the latter considering the King in question preferred torturing animals to leading his people. I could do an even better job advising a ruler worth the name. If that is indeed what you are."
"So you want to advise me?" The Queen glanced up at Jaenarys, then behind her at the Northerner. "Lord Stark, what do you make of this?"
"It is no secret I hate the Lannisters. They, too, have wronged my family greatly. And yet Lord Tyrion is not like the rest of his house. Not anymore, if he ever truly was." Robb nodded down at the Lannister. "When I was imprisoned, he visited and offered me compassion. He protected my sister when I could not. I question why he's not in Westeros, but no longer his character. I've met worse men than him."
Jaenarys smiled at the Northerner with pride, hoping he could see her love for him in her eyes. The Queen cleared her throat, and everyone's attention returned to the men on trial - so to speak. "Very well. What would you have me do with him?" She nodded at Ser Jorah, and the princess froze once more, torn between anger at his betrayal, and love for the man who cared for her like she was his own. "I swore I would kill him if he ever returned."
"I know." Tyrion stepped forward, voice soft.
"Why should the people trust a queen who can't keep her promises?" The Queen asked, and Jaenarys nearly startled at her hypocrisy.
"Whomever Ser Jorah was when he started informing on you, he is no longer that man." The Lannister began his defense of the Andal. "I can't remember ever seeing a sane man as devoted to anything as he is to serving you. He claims he would kill for you and die for you, and nothing I ever witnessed gives me reason to doubt him. And yet he did betray you." Tyrion began to walk up the steps, momentarily stopped by the Unsullied, who pulled out their spears. The Queen held up her hand, though, and the man was allowed to approach. "Did he have an opportunity to confess his betrayal?"
"Yes." The Queen answered bitingly. "Many opportunities."
"And did he?"
"No, not until forced to do so."
Tyrion glanced back at Ser Jorah, then returned his gaze to the Queen. "He worships you. He is in love with you, I think." And there it is, Jaenarys thought to herself. "But he did not trust you with the truth. An unpleasant truth to be sure, but one of great significance to you. He did not trust that you would be wise enough to forgive him. Either of you." Tyrion's attention drifted momentarily to Jaenarys.
"So I should kill him?" Daenerys asked.
"A ruler who kills those devoted to her is not a ruler who inspires devotion. And you're going to need to inspire devotion, a lot of it, if you're ever going to rule across the Narrow Sea. But you cannot have him by your side when you do."
The Queen swallowed, then nodded. "Remove Ser Jorah from the city."
Jaenarys could only watch as he was escorted away by two Unsullied guards, heart stuck in her throat.
Robb stared down at the darkened streets of Mereen, only lit by various bonfires, stars, and the moon. His mind was back in King's Landing, inside his cell. "Never forget, King Robb, you are loved." That had been the last thing Tyrion said to him, until they'd met again today.
"You know Joffrey was killed, yes?" Tyrion asked as Robb showed him to his new chambers, joined by three Unsullied.
"I do. Jaeni - Princess Jaenarys told me, after I arrived."
Tyrion smirked up at him, noticing Robb's slip. "I see. I don't suppose word reached Mereen that I was accused?"
"No, it did not."
"I didn't kill him, in case you were wondering. Then again, I suppose you don't care." Tyrion then cleared his throat, staring shamefaced at his feet. "It pains me to tell you I know not of Sansa's safety, for she ran during the chaos of the wedding. And as for you, some think you are alive, off in hiding with Sansa. Others believe you're dead. I'm not sure you matter to my sister anymore - the Starks have all but perished. A family loyal to the Crown is now Warden of the North."
"Aye, the Boltons." Robb scowled, then offered the Lannister a kinder expression. "I can hardly blame you for losing sight of Sansa. I was informed Lord Baelish planned to take her to the Eyrie. I can only hope she still lives."
"Should you return to Westeros, I'm sure you'll find out for certain. The truth is said to set us free. I hope for her safety as well. Now," Tyrion stared up at Robb, eyes full of curiosity, "how did Eddard Stark's son find himself in the service of the daughters of the Mad King?"
"Littlefinger." Robb spat. "He had another man break me out of the cell, and I was told a ship was waiting for me, to sail me to safety. It seems Lord Baelish has friends in low places, for I was sold to a slaver. I suppose that is a story we share."
"Indeed it is." Tyrion smiled wryly.
Robb nodded. "I was captive for a month when we sailed to Mereen. You could imagine my surprise when our ship was greeted by a dragon and the Unsullied, not to mention all of the Targaryen flags. I thought I was walking to my death when they brought us to the throne room. I would've welcomed it at that point."
"How did you evade execution?"
"Jaenarys." Robb began to smile. "I've never seen grown men so scared, even in battle, until she threatened my slaver. He pissed himself. The Queen wanted my head, but her sister convinced her otherwise."
Tyrion snorted. "So you felt the wisest course of action was to fall for the princess?"
"I fought it as long as I could, falling in love. I didn't want to, after Talisa. I obviously failed, and quite spectacularly, too." Robb confessed. "It is easy to love Jaenarys."
"Varys - you know of him, yes?"
Robb nodded. "Aye, I do. The Spider."
"He was my travel companion, until Jorah Mormont decided he wanted the pleasure of my company." The Lannister explained. "He spoke briefly of the princess. He said she has the love of the people, but lacks the Queen's ambition. Is this true?"
"It is. Every decision she's made has been to help Daenerys claim the Iron Throne. She'd rather see the world than be its ruler."
"Hmm. I noticed she also carries Blackfyre. I'd thought Varys had been misinformed."
Robb huffed out a laugh. "She doesn't just carry it, Lord Tyrion. She wields like the Targaryen warriors of old." He smiled as he thought of the princess's skills with the blade. "My father and King Robert might not have won the war if she was alive during it."
"I'd never thought I'd see the day where a Stark would speak lovingly of a Targaryen."
"It's as I said, Lord Tyrion," Robb led the Lannister down another corridor, "she's easy to love."
Robb smiled as two soft hands pressed against his shoulder blades, breaking him from his thoughts. "Is Vimor asleep?"
"Abed? Yes. Asleep? I can only hope. He's taken to reading to tire himself out. Of course, I don't wish to stop him, he's worked hard to be able to." Jae admitted, and Robb turned so he could lean against the balcony ledge instead, arms crossed over his bare chest. "You'll catch a cold, you know."
"It's a warm night, Jaeni. Besides, if anyone were to get sick, it'd be you. If your nightgowns got any thinner, they'd be air." Robb teased, laughing as Jae blushed. It faded when she shifted her weight, head tilting.
"If it were made of air, I'd be naked, wouldn't I?" She asked, violet orbs shining with mischief. He gulped as she took a step back, playing with the top strings of her dress, tonight's purple. With a smirk, she tugged it gently, letting the fabric covering her chest fall open, leaving her almost completely exposed. In the torchlight, Robb could make out the gooseflesh erupting over her bare skin as it was met by a cold breeze, but Jae remained otherwise unaffected. His arms dropped, hands gripping the stone behind him, knuckles cracking as she pulled the at strings tied at her navel next. The dress slid down her shoulders, and with a little twist it pooled at her feet.
Robb stared only a moment longer before he found himself reaching forward and pulling her into him, his lips on hers while his hands roamed over her bare skin. He swallowed her moans as he walked her back into her - now their - room. "This is not very princess-like, Jaenarys." He murmured as they broke apart, needing air.
"If this was too forward of me, I could always put my dress back on." Jae teased, but Robb saw the hesitation in her eyes. He chose to kiss it away, rubbing their noses together when they parted once more.
"Now, don't be hasty."
Jae laughed, smirking as she made it Robb's turn to moan with need as she unlaced his breeches, tugging them down as they continued to kiss. He kicked them off the rest of the way, and finally there was no fabric between them. Everything was exposed, each freckle and scar, and yet Robb was struck dumb by Jae's beauty. As her fingers danced on his own long-healed wounds, he found himself appreciating his own scars. "Robb?" Jae asked as he slowly lowered her to the bed, falling between her legs as he held himself up by his elbows.
"Yes?"
"I love you." She whispered, and Robb felt himself beginning to smile. "I truly, deeply love you."
"I love you, too." Robb replied, just as softly. "Madly." He pressed his mouth against hers, biting her lower lip. She gasped then bit back, and he moaned. "Truly." His lips slid down to her jaw, then trailed to her neck. "Deeply. I love you. Shall I show you how much?"
"Yes." Jae nodded, pulling his face up so they could kiss once more, her strong thighs squeezing his waist. "And I will show you in return."
And indeed they both did, well into the night, until there was nothing left to show. Neither were particularly glad that he'd chosen not to finish inside her, and yet - with no small amount of luck - perhaps one day he'd be able to. For it was easy to love Jaenarys Fireborn of House Targaryen. The challenge would be achieving a long, happy life together. It was one Robb was more than willing to take on.
He told Jae as much, and her smile was blinding. "I will fight for our lasting happiness, too." She sealed her oath with a kiss before they both drifted off, both equally sore and sated.
Phew! There it is. I hope I did Tyrion justice in his scene with Robb - I'm trying not to destroy his character like Dumb and Dumber did in seasons 7 and 8.