Benjen
He had been expecting many things when he and his group learned that it was at long last their turn to meet with Daenerys Targaeryan. He had known that someone would come to bring them to her but he had been expecting one of the Unsullied to be given the task, a reminder of all she had done and a warning that they should remember her strength. Perhaps one of her Dothraki, to make clear that this wasn't Westeros. A former slave, seeing as they knew the city well and would be able to guide them quickly to the pyramid that had become her seat of power.
What he didn't expect was one of the most famous knights in all of Westeros to come to him and ask for a quiet word.
"You are surprised to see me here, Lord Stark?" Ser. Barristan Selmy said.
"Not Lord Stark," Benjen found himself saying, it an automatic response at that point. More than one Northerner, upon arriving at the Wall, had addressed him as such. It didn't help that the Old Bear remained 'Lord Mormont' due to him being the 'Lord Commander', thus making the entire thing all the more confusion for the poor lads who were worried about insulting him. "Just… Benjen." He glanced at Selmy. "And I admit I am. Not you being with Daenerys… we had heard that you had sided with her, of course. Many speak of her stealing away Robert Baratheon's Lord Commander."
"It is hard to steal something that was tossed aside," he said with a touch of bitterness. "Joffrey threw me aside, blaming me for his father's death and claiming that I was too old to lead the kingsguard. Never mind that there are knights who have served decades more than I have… the Boy King wanted boy Knights. Or better yet knights he and his mother could more easily control. A man should not say such things about men that were their brothers but… but the kingsguard has become utterly corrupt. Oh, there were always games played with who was selected to be a part of it. Where Aegon sought out the best knights and Jaehaerys welcomed those high of birth and low the kingsguard I have known since my joining was one of utterpolitics. Rich families with deeper pockets than their enemies paying for a son to be given a white cloak. Kings and queens worrying about how to reward their neighbors rather than protecting their families. Wanting men that will nod their heads and say whatever the king wants to hear… I once told Ser Jaime Lannister that the kingsguard does not judge a king but protects him. I had forgotten though that once the Kingsguard were the trusted allies and friends of the rulers.
"Can you imagine me trying to train Joffrey how to use a sword? Or teaching him like a beloved uncle? Taking him on hunts or giving him advice on how to better romance his queen? No… no, that boy was wrong in the head and thus would never accept that because he would see it as a weakness on his part. He was told he was perfect from the moment he was born, just like his mother. The kingslayer had a chance… he actually was forced to listen. But those two…" He huffed. "So there was no room in the kingsguard for one that wouldn't see him as perfect." He shook his head. "And now the kingsguard is filled with boys playing at war and corrupt men only there to tell the king what he wishes to hear and plead for their families. Once… once a king would charge out into battle with his kingsguard and all eight of them would be seen as the true commanders. Now I dare say only one or two of them might not piss themselves in a true battle.
"We haven't reached the taint of Ser Crispon Cole but… well, if allowed to continue I dare say the kingsguard would be little more than the goldcloaks in different cloth." The old man shook his head. "How sad it is to admit that with the death of Ser Jaime the last man that might have had a chance to fix the kingsguard is now gone?"
Benjen was startled by how the old knight sounded during his entire conversation. None of the bitterness he would have suspected entered the old man's voice. He didn't sound angry or upset. Not even mournful. No… he sounded just… resigned. He accepted that what he had spoken was the truth and nothing would change that. It would be always that way and that was simply that.
"And Daenerys is different?" Benjen asked as they moved through the camp. He had waved off Steve and Thor (who had apparently decided to join their group, much to Benjen's surprise), knowing that while it might have been dangerous with anyone else he could trust Ser Barristan not to harm him. The man was from another time, a better time, when honor meant something. He would not stab him in the back. 'Even if his queen demanded it?' a soft voice whispered in his head. 'He stood by while your father was roasted alive and your brother strangled himself trying to save him. Can you trust a man who saw such evils and still allowed his sword to be used in the name of the man responsible?'
Benjen didn't have an answer for that, despite how much he desperately wished he did.
"Yes… and no," Ser Barristan admitted. "To those that have earned her trust she will listen. More than once she has changed her path because one of her Small Council members has preached to her that she is headed the wrong way… and she listens."
"And the no?" Benjen pressed.
"When she has it in her head that you look down upon her or that you do not have her best interests in heart she will not listen to you. Which would be fine, as there are many who don't trust her because of her age and her gender… but there are plenty of others who she sees as untrustworthy who are anything but." He sighed, clearly troubled by what he was about to tell Benjen and it was clear to the Ranger that Ser Baristan was weighing carefully his choices.
'He is wondering if he might be able to tell me what he wishes me to know without breaking his vows to his Queen… or if he is able to protect his Queen only through telling me the truth.'
What a horrible position to be in.
"I… know what it is like," Benjen said softly, thinking of his sister's pleas and purple eyes staring at him with hope, "to find yourself torn between two vows. I can only tell you that I have found that silence leads to all being silenced. The Eternal Silence."
And suddenly Benjen found himself wondering just how Ser Barristan would react if he knew the truth. He had aligned himself with Daenerys because he believed her to be the last Targaryen… but that wasn't the case. Even removing Maester Aemon from the equation another existed. One that held a far greater claim to the throne. What would Ser Barristan think if he learned that the Prince he had been so loyal to that it was said he still mourned for him even after agreeing to serve his killer… had a son? That Jaehaerys Targaryen, Third of His Name, and the Rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, existed. Existed… and made by Tommen the Hand of the King and acting Regent. Would he remain loyal to Daenerys? Or would he be on the first ship leaving Essos by the moon's rise, desperate to get to the son of his friend and Prince?
Of course Benjen couldn't say a word. Ser Barristan wouldn't believe him at best and believe it to be the cruelest of jokes as worst. But it made him realize how strange his life was that the two of them should be the closest of allies… but he couldn't reveal why to the man.
Ser Barristan nodded after a moment, drawing Benjen from his thoughts. "Yes… yes you are right." The old knight sighed. "You have been asked to meet with her highness. I know you and your companions have been waiting a long time. I must suggest you find a way to decline."
"I… pardon?"
"You must decline the invitation."
"And why would I do that?" Benjen asked before he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Are we in danger Ser Barristan?"
He pulled at the cord that was wrapped around his throat, desperate to find a way to remove it. He dared not run towards the sword that was placed cruelty just inches away from his fingers, knowing that he would never be able to grab it and attempting to do so would result in his strangling. In front of him the great bonfire burned, Daenerys screaming at her dragons to add more flames, and above the fires Edd dangled… with a smile on his face, his feet twitched back and forth.
"This reminds me of a song my grand-da used to sing!" Edd declared. "Always look on the bright side of death." He whistled several notes. "Just before you take your terminal breath." More whistling as he swung back and forth in time with the music. "Life's a piece of shit, when you look at it. Life's a laugh and death's a joke, its true! You'll see its all a show, keep'em laughing as you go, just remember that the last laugh is on you!"
"What?" Ser Barristan said, eyes widening in shock. "No… no of course not! You are not in danger, I assure you."
That made Benjen frown. "Then why would you say that we must turn down her invitation to speak? We have waited to speak with Daenerys for days now… it is important that we talk with her."
"I imagine your cause is important, for you to come here. And I know that you are not here to preach for her to turn her eye away from Westeros. You are with the Night's Watch… you will not break your vows to remain out of the politics of the realm."
"Of course."
"But that is the problem, Benjen. Daenerys… she will not take it kindly that you refuse to bend the knee."
That startled him greatly. "Surely… surely she will not demand that the Night's Watch swear to side with her over any other. You must tell her-"
"I have," Ser Barristan stated. "I have explained this all to her. But I fear the events of today…"
"What happened?"
Ser Barristan told him all. Of the Brotherhood of the Blackfyres and how their actions had led to a battle amongst their sides. Of Tony's brash words that had heated up the fires in Daenerys' blood. Of Magneto's demands that she give up all claims to the Iron Throne and accept HIM as the rightful ruler.
At once he saw why Ser Barristan was afraid. Daenerys' pride had been bruised and he had been taught that a lord's pride was easily damaged… and a king's pride even more so. Would the same not be true for a queen? She had been wounded and now, like any wounded animal, she would lash out if she was cornered. The smart thing to do would be to back down and give her time to calm down.
But… he couldn't do that.
"No... we can't risk it," Benjen said with a shake of his head. "The news is too important and we can't risk that we will not get a chance again to speak with her."
Ser Barristan frowned at that. "I will speak with her-"
"And she will not listen," Benjen said, cutting the old knight off, which felt like a blasphemy. Ser Barristan had earned for more respect than that but he could not stop himself from speaking. "If you could make her see reason in this you would make her see reason when she spoke with us. You would tell her that what we had to tell her was important and she must keep her ears open and her mind even more so. The fact that you are preaching caution tells me that you know her heart will not listen to your words, not on this."
Ser Barristan puffed up for a moment, clearly insulted... only for his body to wilt after a few moments more. "Yes... I hate to admit it but yes. I told you that she will take council from those close to her but I fear that there are others closer to her than I that will speak against me if I try to get her to side with you." He shook his head. "Logan has been with her since her marriage to Khal Drogo and it was he who was enraged today. I sometimes think those two are more brother and sister than she ever was with Viserys. They have a connection that can only come with time. And then there is Viktor... he is one that I simply can't get a read on. The ruler of Qarth, or as it is now called Latvaria, he may warn her heed your message... or may dismiss you outright. One can't tell which way he might go until he speaks. But the worst is Ser Jorah."
"Ser... as in Mormont?" Benjen asked in surprise. "Lord Jeor Mormont's son?"
"Yes. The one that your brother exiled."
"Ser Jorah wasn't exiled," Benjen said fiercely. "He sold men into slavery and rather than take the black or face Ned's sword with dignity he chose to run. That has assured him that should he ever step foot in Westeros again he will die... I would never trust him to have my back. A man that stains his honor is a hard man to trust when times are dark."
"And Ser Jorah will sing a different song," Ser Barristan stated with a sad shake of his head. "He will claim that your brother was cruel. That he didn't help Bear Island like he should and it is his fault that his fortunes turned downward." Ser Barristan held up his hand before Benjen could say a word. "I don't agree with him. In fact it bothers me greatly that her grace keeps such a man so close... he is a dangerous one. I informed her that Ser Jorah even was Robert's spy against her and she still has allowed him to remain. Perhaps... perhaps that has weaken his sway over her. But..." and her the knight's voice grew stronger even if there was hints of remorse within them, "...the Starks and the Targeryens are not friends."
"No... we are not," he admitted even though he knew that was a lie. 'In another life we would have been far closer than that. We would have been kin. Jon might not have sat the Iron Throne but he would have been a prince. A fine and good and just one. With the might of the Dragon, the Spear, and the Wolf, along with the Falcon and the Trout, the rest of Westeros would have been brought to heel.' He let out a mental huff. 'Seven Hells, in another life Jon and Danerys might have been promised to each other.' It wasn't unheard of... Daemon Targaryen wed his own niece, after all, and despite how the story ended from all accounts it was a good marriage...
He forced such thoughts from his mind. That was a life that would never occur. The Spear and the Wolf were united through Jon and his bride Natahsa Martell. He could not see Jon ever taking a second bride; both because he was too Wolfish to accept that and because both women would most likely kill each other. From what he had gathered both were HIGHLY possessive of what was theirs.
"It doesn't matter," Benjen said with a shake of his head. "We must speak with her. If we refuse this audience she will see it as a slight and at best we will be never allowed to speak to her again, though it is far more likely she will seek to avenge her lost honor upon us. The message must be gotten to her, even if she refuses to listen at this moment... when our words prove true at least she will have been given SOME warning."
Ser Barristan, seeing that Benjen refused to be swayed, finally nodded his head and told him to gather those that would be coming with him.
In the end it turned out that none would be left behind. Steve of course would go for he was the greatest proof that the Others WERE walking the lands of Men once more. Ygritte refused to be left behind, throwing a fit before Benjen could even suggest it. She claimed that he thought her weak even though she could now lift him up with just the tips of her fingers and throw him the entire length of Meereen and that was why he didn't want her to go. He'd finally, when allowed to say a word, told her she was of course coming just to get her to be silent. Rayne was someone he wanted to come anyway, to represent the Freefolk, but her brother demanded he come too.
"You are going to have these two alone with the Dragon Queen?" Tormund had said with a laugh. "They will either bath the world in a war of ice, fire, and wolves before the sun sets or become the best of friends. I can't decide what would be worse for all of us."
Thor had simply asked when they were leaving and Benjen had accepted that while he was a ranger, Thor was a god, and there was no way he would be able to command him to do anything. Sam had been ready to say he would stay behind but Thor had declared that the Summer Islander MUST come with them, to represent his homelands. Sam, still unable to find the man he was looking for, had agreed after a few moments.
"I'm happy to stay back here," Edd said with a smile. "Far away from dragon fire and potentially enraged queens? Sounds delightful."
"Get going," Benjen had groused. "If I have to suffer then you do to."
"Huh. That was what me da used to say to get me to come to supper each night after a long night of making shoes for fat women."
The walk to the Great Pyramid was a long one and the walk through it to Daenerys' throne room felt even longer. He didn't know of Ser Barristan was purposely taking them the long way of if that was simply how the pyramid was designed but it felt to Benjen as if he had climbed the Wall three times before they finally reached the doors. There they waited, Steve reminding Tormund, Ygritte, and Rayne that while they didn't have to kneel to her it would be helpful if they, at minimum, showed Daenarys some respect. The smile that Tormund gave at that made Benjen regret all of his choices in life.
Finally, after each was questioned by a servant about their names and titles, they were asked to enter and the first thing Benjen noticed was those gathered. A squadron of Unsullied, if he wasn't mistaken, all with spears at the ready to go from rest to defense with one command. Upon a dais was Ser Jorah Mormont and it annoyed Benjen to no end to see the man in Westerosi steel plate; he didn't deserve such an honor. Why Ned hadn't demanded his title of knight be taken from him, Benjen would never know. He certainly wouldn't address the coward with that word. Next to him was a figure in odd yellow and blue leathers that he managed to pull off quite well; his bare arms were nearly as covered as a bear's and the hair on his head was shaped upward to resemble wolf ears. After that was Ser Barristan and a small man that looked very much out of place amongst such warriors, both in terms of strength and mood. He was the only one projecting peace. Off to the other side was a man in a black and red outfit who was staring at Thor with open shock, his hand reaching down and... well, Benjen hoped he was merely adjusting himself. Beside him was who could only be Viktor, the Doom as was whispered in Meereen and the camps around it, wearing an emerald cloak and full plate including a grim mask over his face. A swarthy looking man with scars upon his face and a patchy beard looked at them with muted interest from the back of the group, it clear that while slightly intrigued he wasn't fully interested in the meeting at all.
And upon a large yet simple stone throne, in the center of them all, sat Daenerys Firestar.
"You enter the throne room of Queen Daenerys Targaryen. The Firestar. Khaalesi. Queen of Dragon Bay." This was all spoken by a dark skinned woman with a white tattoo overlaid upon her right eye. "Presenting Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch. Captain Steven Rogers of the Knights of the Dawn. Ygritte..."
And here the woman paused.
"...Skullfucker."
Ygritte flashed a sharp smile at that and Benjen let out a groan, not bothering to stop himself from holding his head in his hands.
"I like her," the red-and-black garbed man said.
"Tormund Giantsbane," the woman said, managing to recover quite quickly, "and his sister Rayne Wolfsbane. Edd of the Night's Watch-"
"I have no fancy titles," Edd said cheerfully and Benjen wondered what deities he had enraged to end up with THIS lot. "Isamalwi Iso Malsosia of the Summer Isles, And Prince Thor Odinson of Asgard."
Daenerys took them all in before settling her eyes on Benjen. "You are of the Night's Watch?"
"I am, your grace," Benjen said with a dip of his head.
"I have been told that the Night's Watch is a penal colony, where the prisoners of Westeros are sent when the dungeons are too full. What have you done to be allowed to end your sentence early, Stark?"
"That isn't fully true, your grace," Jorah stated at once, before Benjen could be startled by her words. His tone made clear that he was just as shocked by her comments. "While the South sees it as such the North sees it as an honor to volunteer to serve, so they might protect their kin from the wildlings. Many great houses of the North send their sons to serve."
'Remembered that your father was one of us in that 'penal colony', did you?' Benjen thought darkly, thought he forced his face to remain grim and unmoving. What he found odd was that Tormund, Ygritte, and Rayne seemed just as upset as he was; he didn't know why, considering that the Free Folk had accused the Night's Watch of the same things Daenerys did. 'Maybe its because she wears a crown and is saying their words back... they don't know how to feel.'
Daenerys slowly nodded at that. "Then I was given... incorrect information. My apologies."
Benjen didn't believe she was truly sorry for a second.
"My time with the Night's Watch has not ended, your grace," Benjen said, forcing himself to remain polite. "My Watch will only end with my Death."
"Then why are you here, rather than at the Wall protecting my Kingdom?" Daenerys asked.
Benjen didn't rise to the bait of disagreeing that it was 'her' kingdom. "There are Black Brothers who travel Westeros and beyond, when the need arises. Mostly to gather recruits, yes, but other times in order to deliver messages."
"And you wish to deliver a message?" Daenerys asked coolly.
"Yes," Benjen stated. "A message that is also a warning. Your life is in danger, Daenerys Targaryen. There is-"
But the queen cut him off.
"My life has been in danger from the moment of my birth," she said coldly. In fact all of her was cold, so that with the expression she was wearing had her hair been dark and her eyes gray she might have been one of the Stark Queens of Old, who could shatter stone with a dark look and with a single world halt an army storming towards her gate. The only thing not cold was her eyes, which blazed with the flames that were said to be forever a part of her now. "The moment I came into this world I was hunted. Chased by the assassins of your king, Robert Baratheon. The usurper stole my throne and sent killers after me time and time again and now you come here trying to be my friend and ally and warn me of a danger?" She shook her head. "The only danger I suffer is from you."
"Purely because he is from Westeros?" Steve said, stepping forward. "If that is the case then I can only assume you will be sending half of your Small Council from your sight." He looked first to Ser Barristan, then to the small peaceful man, then Viktor, and finally Jorah. Benjen wondered when Steve had learned of them all, for he hadn't realized that Viktor and the peaceful man were Westerosi (though in the peaceful man's case he should have, thanks to his features even if they were hidden by a deep tan). "Benjen was with the Night's Watch before the proclamations of Robert's crowning were announced, I am told. Is the same true for all the men here?"
"They have proven themselves to me to be loyal."
"We serve the true Queen while you bow to the usurper," Jorah stated with a grim and condescending look that had Benjen's wolf's blood boiling.
"You bowed to Robert for many years, Jorah," Benjen said, refusing to even honor the man by addressing him by his last name. "You were knighted because you helped put down the Greyjoy Rebellion for him. And then you became his spy. Tell me, did Lord Varys command you ever to put anything in Daenerys or Viscerys' drinks?"
Daenerys' eyes flashed at that. "Ser Jorah has told me all about his past. And he has worked even now towards forgiveness."
"So Benjen," Steve continued on, for Benjen had found the wolf's blood was screaming for the time of words to be over and the time of swords begin, "purely because he holds the name of a family that harmed you, is not to be trusted. Never mind that no Stark ever killed a Targaryen but your own father killed two and your brother's actions led to the death of a third… HE is the one that shouldn't be trusted? Yet this one-" Steve gestured towards Jorah, "-is given your trust?"
"Ser Jorah told me of why he served Robert… and how soon he renounced him."
"And he told you how he made men into slaves?" Benjen snapped. "What do the people that cry out 'Breaker of Chains' think when they learn the Khaalesi takes advice from a slave monger. You killed the Wise Masters and the Kind Masters and the Great Masters. Made a show of wiping them from Dragon's Bay. And yet this man, who sold men, is allowed to live? What will they say when times are tough and Jorah's last actions in such times was to sell free men?"
"Yeah, people forget about that little bit," the red and black man said with clear laugh in his voice.
"They came onto my lands-" Jorah began.
But Benjen cut him off, taking a step forward. "You were looking for an excuse!" he thundered. "You were desperate for coin and grabbed the first men you could! Had it not been them you would have found someone else for a lesser crime than poaching to enslave! What will happen then when your Queen discovers that wars gobble up gold dragons and silver stags? Will you suggest that the prisoners she takes be sold to pay for her conquests?"
"You dare suggest I would-" Daenerys said, rising up from her throne.
"He has the right of it," Viktor stated, causing all to turn to him in shock. Daenerys turned her angered gaze on him but Viktor didn't back down, staring at her with the intensity of a tidal wave that doused her flames. "It is something that will be learned and you will need to answer for, especially as you prepare to march for war. You claim to be of Westeros but you have never walked those lands… to them you are Essosi. And slavery is a common thing in these lands. You think your enemies will not whisper this? Every soldier will be told to fight to the death because should they be captured you and Ser Jorah will put them in chains and sell them off in order to fatten your purse."
"I would never-"
But once more Viktor cut her off, dominating the conversation so completely that Daenerys' words died on her tongue. "A good queen thinks over such things and has answers. Ones that are better than merely 'I trust this man'. And ruler who believes their word is good enough without force to back it up doesn't belong on the throne. Just as any ruler unwilling to even hear those that claim they have messages of warning purely because of grudges from ages past… and slights from others unconnected to current conversations… does not deserve their crown." The disappointment was clear in his tone and, for a moment, Daenerys showed herself not to be a khaalesi or a queen but a young woman being scolded by a beloved mentor. She settled on her throne but suddenly it looked too big for her, making her look small. The leathers she wore that allowed her to look like a warrior now made her appear to be a child playing pretend. She was sullen and moody but also chastised. "Benjen Stark… if you are able to do so without hurling insults… what threat do you wish to inform us of?"
Benjen took a moment to settle himself, reaching down and smoothing his shirt with his hands. He hadn't been that angry in… well, a long time. A very long time. Perhaps the last time had been when he had come to Winterfell for Robb's 4th naming day and caught one of Catelyn's maids striking Jon for no other reason than he was 'in the way'. He had told Ned and while at first he had dismissed the woman the next day Benjen had discovered her still in the castle, on orders of Catelyn.
"That is Ly's son!" Benjen had thundered as he had made to leave Winterfell early, Ned begging him not to go. "She will NEVER forgive you for how you have treated him, Ned. You promised her and you have broken it!"
He hadn't returned to Winterfell for 3 years and it had taken the Greyjoy Rebellion to finally get him to return. And the first words out of Ned's mouth when they were in private were that the woman was gone.
"An assassin is coming for you, your grace," Benjen finally got out, pleased his voice didn't tremble or raise. "One that seeks to make your death only the least of your suffering."
"And just what does this assassin desire then?" Daenerys said,
"To torture you," Steve said, "for all its existence. To inflict pains upon your soul as it twists your body into a weapon to destroy all you care about." He moved in front of Benjen, the ranger stepping back until he felt Tormund's hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight pat. "The Ancient Enemy has awoken again. The Others have returned and the Night's King is preparing to march on Westeros, to bring about another Long Night. He knows you and your dragons are a danger to him, your grace, and thus he seeks to turn you from a danger into a strength. One of his Council members, the Red Skull, is coming to Meereen and aims to steal your body, twisting it into an Other and use your soul to fuel one of his loyal minions."
Daenerys stared at them in utter bafflement.
"The Others," Ser Barristan finally got out, utterly befuddled by what Steve had revealed.
"This… they are but children's stories," Jorah said.
"Your father doesn't think so," Benjen growled only for Tormund to squeeze his shoulder. Jorah looked utterly thunderstruck by the reminder of his father's serve on the Wall and didn't say another word.
"You come to me and claim I must be wary of some… fantasy?" Daenerys asked. "This is why you waste my time?" She let out a huff. "What is your true goal in this then, I wonder, for there must be something else driving you. Hoping to see if I am as mad as they say my father was? That I will jump at any terrible boogin that exists?"
"Oh, the Others are VERY real," the red and black man said.
"You can't fucking believe this, Wade!" the hairy man said, speaking up for the first time.
"Believe and know it, Wolvie," Wade replied. He gestured at them. "Others are back and one of them wants inside of Daenerys. Sounds about right to me."
"They are but… a myth," Ser Barristan stated. "A fairy tale told to children on Theon's Night."
"Oh?" Wade countered, bemused. "And a woman that can eat fire and shit out flames isn't? Or a man with metal claws? Or who can do this?" Wade took out a knife and, to Benjen's shock, stabbing himself through the hand. "GAH! Why did I think that was a good idea!?" He ripped the knife out and after a moment the wound sealed up; only the blood that dripped to the ground showed that he had stabbed himself. "Why didn't I bring up the Hulk?!" Wade whined, waving his hand.
"He… has a point, your grace," the peaceful man said. "Considering what all of us can do can we deny that these Others might be real?"
"I have seen many things," the swarthy man commented lazily, "that people snapped at me weren't real. It wasn't until I forced them to come face to face with them that they accepted them to be true and many times even beyond that they believed it to be a mummur's farce."
"What, exactly, is an Other?" the dark skinned woman asked.
"An Other," Steve said, "is a Child of the Forest who takes over a human body and alters it in order to walk freely upon the Earth. They control ice and snow and the bitter cold and can raise the dead as their servants."
"Fantasy," Jorah murmured. "A ghost story."
"I am no fantasy," Steve said and suddenly his eyes blazed and Benjen shivered as a cold wind filled the throne room. "I am Steve Rogers, Captain of the Knights of the Dawn… and if not for a good man I would have been one of the Thanos' Council. Instead I maintain control of my body, as does Ygritte." The wildling woman, who had been watching everything happen with clear delight on her face, stepped forward. "We are real."
"Ye best begin believin' in ghost stories, Ser Jorah," Wade said, using for some reason an Iron Island accent, "you're in one!"
"The Others are real. Gods are real." Benjen moved back into the conversation again. "And they have turned your sight on you, your grace."
But Daenerys merely rose and suddenly her body was bathed in flames. "You manipulate the cold. I manipulate fire. That doesn't make you some mythical threat come again. I have seen a man that can twist metal with a wave of his hand. Another who could punch through stone with beams that came from his eyes. No… this is Magneto's doing, I can tell it. You are more of his servants here to try and distract me while he attempts to claim my throne and I will not play your games. Leave this place before I throw you in cells-"
Suddenly a great boom rattled the pyramid.
"A storm!" someone screamed and turning towards the open windows to the right of them Benjen saw that the bright sun of Meereen had disappeared and black storm clouds were now rumbling, lightning lashing out and striking the pyramid.
"Thor…" Steve said, turning towards the Asgardian… whose eyes BLAZED.
"You have proven to be far lesser than I had hoped, Daenerys Targaryen. I had been told you were a great woman, of cunning and guile. A worthy ally. Instead I find a petulant child. We will leave, as you have requested, for it is your right. But should you seek to harm my companions again-"
Lightning suddenly came crashing down, arcing INTO the throne room, blinding them all. Benjen threw up his hands to shield his face and when he was finally able to lower them he saw that the lightning had carved into the rock the words 'Beware the Thunderer, Daenerys' right into the rock wall to their left.
With that Thor turned and after a moment Benjen and the rest followed him.
"And we were gonna fuck things up?" Ygritte said with a laugh.