"As soon as we heard about the Wall, I called all our banners to retreat to Winterfell." Sansa said with a sigh, once everyone gathered in the Great Hall after Jon and Daenerys arrived. "Lord Umber when can we expect your people to arrive?"
The young Lord Umber stood up from one of the sides of the room and walked forward towards the individuals sitting at the head table. Jon sat in the middle with Sansa on his right, and Visenya on his left. Daenerys was sitting next to Sansa.
"We need more horses and wagons, if it please My Lady." The boy began before turning to look at Jon. "And my King."
The boy then turned to look at Visenya. "And my Queen."
The boy then turned to Daenerys. "And Your Grace. Sorry."
"There is no need to appologize." Visenya smiled warmly to the boy. "You'll have as many as we can spare. Hurry back to Last Hearth and bring your people here."
The boy then bowed to the table, before hurrying out of the Great Hall, and thus caused chatter amongst the masses gathered.
"We need to send ravens to the Night's Watch as well." Jon began. "There's no sense in manning the castles anymore. We make our stand here."
Maester Wolkan nodded. "At once, Your Grace."
Once Maester Wolkan left, Lyanna Mormont stood up and began to walk towards the head table.
"'Your Grace.'" She sneered. "But you're not. Are you? You left Winterfell a king and came back a- I'm not sure what you are now."
People started to murmur, making Sansa turn her head slightly towards Jon, questioning the deal he made with her sister.
"A lord? Nothing at all?" Lyanna asked, wanting to know the deal as well.
Jon shook his head. "It's not important."
"Not important?" Lyanna said with slight anger. "We named youKing in the North."
Some of the Northerners and Wildlings present started to cheer in agreement upon the mention that Jon was technically King in the North.
"King of the North!" A man shouted.
Jon nodded. "You did, my lady. It was the honor of my life. I'll always be grateful for your faith. But when I left Winterfell, I told you we need allies or we will die. I have brought those allies home to fight alongside us. I had a choice, keep my crown or protect the North. I chose the North."
Visenya's head snapped toward Jon in disbelief of the words that were coming out of his mouth. Not only did he fall for her sister's beauty, but he bent the knee and pledged the North to her cause...completely forgetting the fact that he had declared Visenya queen.
"That is impossible." Lyanna began gesturing to Visenya. "You named Visenya Targaryen not only Queen of the North, but also the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms...are you forgetting the vow you made to her?"
Jon then turned to look Visenya in the eyes, and from his position, he could tell she was not happy with his decisions. The day he sided with Daenerys he knew most of the individuals present wouldn't be happy with the decisions he made. Tyrion, tired of all the diplomacy, stood up and walked to the center of the room.
"If anyone survives the war to come, we'll have Jon Snow to thank. He risked his life to show us the threat is real." He began. "Thanks to his courage, we have brought with us the greatest army the world has ever seen. We have brought two full-grown dragons."
"Which we had before, due to Queen Visenya." Another man pipped up, causing some people to grumble and yell out in frustration at Jon siding with Daenerys
"I know, I know, but soon, the Lannister army will ride north to join our cause."
"No thanks to our sister." Jaime murmured from his position in the back of the room.
"Have you received any ravens back?" Mira asked with a sigh, trying to calm Helaena down.
"Some were an automatic yes, and some were an automatic no." He replied taking Helaena from Mira, the small child immediately calming down in her father's arms.
"I know our people haven't been friends in the past. But we must fight together now or die." Tyrion pleaded earning some groans and angry looks from the masses.
"May I ask, how are we meant to feed the greatest army the world has ever seen? While I ensured our stores would last through winter, I didn't account for Dothraki, Unsullied and two more full-grown dragons. What do your dragons eat, anyway?" Sansa practically sneered.
Daenerys smirked. "Whatever they want."
After Daenerys commented that her dragons eat whatever, the meeting dispersed, and while Jon wanted to go speak with Visenya and Sansa, the two of them each went off a different way.
Visenya to her study.
Sansa to her study.
Both wanting nothing to do with Jon in that moment in time.
Hours passed as Visenya continuously stayed put in her study, not wanting anything to do with the large amount of Unsullied, Dothraki, or any other member of the any of the armies or houses present due to how disgusted she became by this entire situation. While she understood Jon's mindset in getting Daenerys to ally herself and her army with them to help fight The Army of The Dead, but at the same time, she didn't understand why he completely forbade his oath as King in The North to bend the knee to Daenerys.
That part was wrong in Visenya's mind, especially if he wanted the North to be independent.
"Are you angry at Jon?" Aegon asked barging into her study later that day, and sitting down across from her. "Are you angry at him for siding with your sister?"
"I can't say I'm pleased." She sighed, leaning back in her chair.
"Why, because she now weakened your claim?" Aegon countered making Visenya frown.
"I never wanted that stupid chair to begin with." Visenya countered, not understanding why the boy was coming on strong. "What is wrong?"
"If we have Daenerys on our side, we can take the Throne with ease and bring the Targaryen's into power again." Aegon sighed. "Though I'd probably have to marry Daenerys seeing that she'll want the throne."
"I highly advise staying clear of that throne...it has done more harm than good." She sighed.
"What do you mean?" He asked in disbelief. "If I sat on the Iron Throne, I could be just as good of a King as Viserys I. I would help the poor, just like my mother wanted. Provide food to those in need, rule peacefully...wouldn't you want that?"
This is the moment she was dreading.
For Aegon's motives to change.
"Aegon, I understand where you are coming from, and believe me, there is nothing more than I want in this world is for Westeros to live long and prosper. But I warn you, do not go down this path...it's dark and dangerous. Once that throne is yours, it will be melted to nothing." Visenya warned cautiously, not wanting Aegon to fall down the same path as Daenerys.
"How can you say that!" Aegon exclaimed in anger. "If I want to do good for the realm I need the Iron Throne!"
"You do not need the Iron Throne to be King." She countered. "I have seen too many people who are similar to you, try and go after the Iron Throne...and they are all dead."
"I will not like be the other tyrants who came before." He continued.
"Aegon." She sighed, leaning forward. "I understand you would be a good King. But that throne does things to people. It corrupts them. I've seen it with my own eyes. Most of Westeros see's it as a beacon of hope, and I see it as a poison. You may be a worthy King now, but once you sit on that throne, you will change, not for the good of the realm, but the complete opposite. Look what happened to our family because of it. You were in Essos for most of your life, and I was being raised in this very castle...Aegon, it is not worth the time, or effort."
"What of Daenerys?" Aegon sighed, beginning to believe that his Aunt was correct.
"Daenerys is too far gone...and I don't want the same to happen to you. I spent most of my life believing that you had perished before my very eyes, and now that I have you in my life once more...I can't bare the thought of loosing you again." She explained as she stood up from her seat and walked around her desk to face the boy. "You may think I am being to harsh, but I am doing it for the sake of our family."
Aegon nodded before hugging Visenya, finally understanding why she never wanted to be Queen. She never wanted the throne, and while some believe all she wants is that throne...others close to her realize that she wants nothing to do with it.
An hour or so later, Visenya ventured out of her study and headed towards Sansa's study, and no sooner she entered, she saw Jon and Sansa standing discussing a letter.
"What's wrong?" Visenya asked gesturing to the letter in Sansa's hands.
"Lord Glover is staying in Deepwood Motte, as he won't stand behind Jon anymore." Sansa explained before glaring at Jon.
"No wonder...he did vow to follow The King in The North." Visenya practically sneered.
"I told you we needed allies." He pleaded.
"You didn't tell us that you were going to abandon your crown." Sansa retorted.
"I never wanted a crown. All I wanted was to protect the North." Jon countered."I brought two armies home with me, two dragons."
"Both of which I had already secured when I helped you win The Battle of The Bastards." Visenya countered.
"And a Targaryen queen." Sansa sneered. "Which Visenya already was. You betrayed our sister."
"Sansa." Visenya sighed, not wanting an argument to break out.
"He betrayed you, Senya!" She angrily replied.
"Do you think we can beat the Army of the Dead without her? I fought them, Sansa. Twice." Jon pleaded, explaining his situation. "You want to worry about who holds what title, I'm telling you it doesn't matter. Without her, we don't stand a chance."
The three of them fell silent, all annoyed with the other. Jon turned to Visenya.
"Do you have any faith in me at all?" Jon asked.
"You know I do...I always have." She began. "You and I have always been outsiders."
"She'll be a good queen. For all of us." Jon sighed. "She's not her father."
Sansa sighed. "And neither is Visenya, but I will say this...she's not as pretty."
Jon scoffed in anger, and Visenya looked down, still having difficulty believing that Jon bent the knee to her sister. Anger took over Visenya, as she stepped toward Jon.
"Did you bend the knee to save the North or because you love her?" She asked with anger in her eyes.
Jon innocently looked up to her, pleading with her to not make him answer the question, but that only angered Visenya more. With a shake of her head in disappointment, she exited Sansa's study, wanting to get far away from them.
She found herself in the direction of The Godswood, and no sooner she entered, she saw Jaime sitting in the snow, trying to get Helaena to come to him.
"She's too small." She began as she walked toward them. "Give it a year or so, and she'll be running circles around us."
"I'm sure she will." He began. "Probably be a dragonrider by the time she's five."
Visenya let out a laugh as she crouched down next to Helaena, and her once happy expression turned sad in a matter of seconds.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
She shook her head. "Jon bent the knee to my sister because he loves her, and Aegon is heading down a dark path."
He let out a sigh upon hearing her comments.
"What are you going to do?" He asked with concern.
She shrugged, picking up Helaena off the ground, before standing up. "I am uncertain how to proceed."
He stood up as well. "Perhaps you should talk to your sister? Reason with her?"
She shook her head as they began to walk out of the Godswood. "Our previous interactions haven't been pleasant...I still haven't told Jon or Daenerys about Helaena."
"Aegon will come around, he's a good lad." He sighed. "Your sister...I don't know her very well."
"Neither do I, and the times I tried to know her, didn't show her best side or mine." She began as they walked through Winterfell's main gates. "Truly living up to being the daughters of Aerys...fighting amongst one another."
He let out a laugh before kissing her temple. "You finally met your match in your sister."
She smiled, and just as she was about to respond, her grip on Helaena tightened as she stopped in her tracks with wide eyes. Across the Courtyard, Daenerys was standing with Jon and Tyrion in deep conversation, all of which were looking at Visenya, Jaime and Helaena, eyes wide as well.
Almost in an instant from her position, she saw Daenerys's gaze become darker in anger as she looked from Jaime to Helaena to Visenya, then back to Jaime again. Anger clearly present all on her face.
Seeing the anger her sister had, Jaime immediately put an arm around Visenya's waist and pulled her closer to him, almost to try and protect her and Helaena. But all that went through Visenya's mind in that very moment was how she could physically use her body to shield Helaena.
Nothing else matter to her at this point.
A/N:
Shoutout to Ian09121995 for your help.
As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.