"This issue is not up for discussion."
"You're going to get yourself killed?" Sansa replied resentfully.
There should be relative peace, at least that's what he would like. Unfortunately, it seemed like they hadn't earned it yet. They might be home in Winterfell, but that didn't mean the end of their problems.
In the south, Cersei Lannister crowned herself Queen of the Seven Kingdoms after the death of her second son. This more or less meant that they will probably face another war in future, and there was also a threat from beyond the Wall...
As if that wasn't enough, a raven from Dragonstone flew in today. Visenya Targaryen invites him to a meeting. In what case? This wasn't in the letter, but it was easy to guess.
He didn't know much about her, only whose child she was and that Tywin Lannister had saved her from death. And of course he had heard about her exploits in Slaver's Bay and that she had four dragons. And now she was back in Westeros and inviting him to a meeting.
Interesting choice of words, as if they were supposed to meet as equals, as if she didn't consider herself better.
Maybe he has a wrong impression, maybe she doesn't have much of an ego at all and doesn't think that she just deserves everything? But is this better than the ambition to subjugate the entire continent?
Besides, what choice did he have? Stay in the North and wait until she comes to him - probably not so nice anymore - or take a risk and go to meet this famous Mother of Dragons. Since she's supposedly so good, maybe he can convince her to help him in the impending war with the Night King? Or at least allow him to mine dragonglass, of which - as Sam, now staying in the Citadel, has learned - there are large deposits on Dragonstone?
"What choice do I have?" he answered her question, leaning on the railing and looking at the main courtyard of the castle. It used to be easier to argue with her. And while last time they agreed on retaking the castle and the battle, this time they couldn't come to an agreement at all.
"At least discuss this with the bannermen! Or let me talk some sense into you." he understood her frustration, and he knew that what he was about to do was more stupid than brave. Although he did not see it as a choice between life and death, but between a quicker death and later death. He would either die on Dragonstone or at Winterfell, killed by her or the Night King and the army of the undead.
A drowning man catches at a straw.
"What for?" he replied, one could say dismissively and shrugged. "They will only question my decision. They have recognized me as their king, I have the last word. Even Jon eventually accepted it."
The conversation with his stepbrother wasn't the easiest either. Jon offered to go with Davos instead of him. Ultimately, however, he understood him and respected his decision. Their sister didn't want to do the same.
"Hasn't experience taught you anything?" he sighed at Sansa's words. It was cold enough that the air that left his mouth was white. At least he wasn't cold like when he had to travel halfway across the continent on his own to reach Castle Black. "I was already told once that you were dead. Do I have to go through this again, only this time for the rest of my life?"
"If I don't come back, it means she's our enemy." he wasn't going to address her question or her words at all, because that would mean scratching wounds that had barely healed.
"She's a Targaryen, of course she's an enemy."
"If we judged each other by what our ancestors did, all families would be enemies." he replied quickly, somehow he had a feeling that Sansa would mention her like that.
Robb, on the other hand, saw no point in disliking her because of what her father, grandfather, or anyone else in the family had done. She had nothing to do with their actions, just as he had nothing to do with the actions of his ancestors. Everyone makes their own decisions and it is unfair to judge by name.
Unfortunately, many people thought otherwise.
"I've learned one thing: All those who are not our family are enemies." he wanted to sigh again, but he held back. Instead, he looked down and read the short letter in his hands again.
"She can help us." he said after a long moment of silence, even though he no longer had any hope of convincing his sister.
"In exchange for what? For obedience." she leaned on the railing next to him. "She came to Westeros with an army, a fleet and dragons, she wants to take the throne."
"It's obvious." he muttered in a not very nice tone, which was not intended. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Would you rather everyone die, everyone in the North, than bend the knee? Do you really value pride more than survival?"
He also thought long and hard about what Visenya would want in exchange for her help with the Night King - assuming she would agree to help them at all. The first thing that came to his mind was an oath of fealty, after all, that's why she came back, to take the Iron Throne and all kingdoms with it. Surely she expects that from him, why else would she invite him to Dragonstone?
"If you bend the knee to her, it's all been in vain."
"It won't be in vain if we die?" he finally looked at her. It was obvious that this decision wasn't easy for him, after how much everyone had suffered and fought, but he wasn't stupid, he realized that they couldn't win with her, even if only half of what they said about her was true. "If I bend the knee..." he looked forward again. "...won't you turn your back on me and help me convince the Lords that this was the only decision?"
Silence. Unbearable silence. He wanted to shake her to make her answer anything, even refuse him, tell him that she would never agree with such a decision. But she remained silent. She looked at him and was silent. He didn't look at her himself, but felt her eyes on him and it wasn't comfortable. As if she was looking straight into his soul.
"You are my brother. I may argue with you, but I will never leave you. The Starks must stick together." she pushed herself off the railing and started to walk away before stopping abruptly. "Don't get yourself killed."
"Then you or Jon will be in charge, don't you like that prospect?" he said jokingly, wanting to lighten the atmosphere a bit.
She turned and looked at him for a moment before quickly walking back and hugging him tightly. He hugged her back.
"I'd rather have a brother, even if he makes stupid decisions sometimes."
On Dragonstone, there was a meeting in the map room. Visenya was expecting guests, her allies in the near future. She had to present them with a further plan of action, one that would be effective and at the same time would not result in too many casualties.
Everything was cleaned up and new figures were placed on the map, placed according to the knowledge they had. Apparently, most of the Lannister troops were in King's Landing, where they had to quell the riots caused by the destruction of the sept and Cersei's ascension to Queen.
So much for being the first recorded Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
"Not many families support my sister, and those who do, do so because they don't know you. They prefer the familiar evil, so to speak." she passed over calling her 'evil', she understood what Tyrion meant.
She kept her hands clasped in front of her and looked at the map, wondering if she could handle it. After all, she's the one who has to accept or reject the plan when she doesn't really have much experience. Fortunately, she has people with her who know a little more.
They had already discussed their options as they traveled, but there was little they could do without knowing the ultimate situation they would face in Westeros.
"We're expecting Ellaria Sand in about a week." at this point she stopped listening to her Hand. She was surprised by the name she heard. "Highgarden is a lot further away, so we can expect Olenna Tyrell in about two weeks, so we have plenty of time to-"
"One sec." she finally interrupted him. "Ellaria Sand?" she repeated. "Why her? Isn't Dorne ruled by the Martells?"
No one wanted to answer her question, which made her immediately suspicious. Something was not told to her, something was hidden from her...
"Your Grace... Oberyn died at King's Landing, and Dorian was killed at Sunspear." Tyrion finally spoke up.
"Excuse me?" she wanted to shout it out, but she stopped herself. She expected an explanation, immediately.
"Oberyn died during a trial by combat. He fought against the Mountain, he wanted to avenge your mother and siblings." he explained, but looked away from her immediately after saying these words. From that she knew that he must have had something to do with it. "My own father wanted to convict me for the murder of Joffrey, which I did not commit. So I demanded a trial by combat and Oberyn decided to be my champion. Unfortunately he died..."
But you survived, she wanted to say, but stopped herself. This wasn't a good time to argue. Besides, no matter how much she wanted to blame him for the death of the man who always took her side and tried to save her from Tywin, she couldn't. From what Tyrion says, Oberyn decided on his own that he wanted to fight. He wanted to take revenge and died. She should direct her anger at the Mountain, who killed so much of her family, and not at Tyrion, who is merely trying to survive.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and stop the tears that were about to spring to her eyes. She cannot mourn those who died, she must avenge them and make them proud of her. Tears will do no good.
"And Dorian?"
"After Oberyn's death, the people of Dorne demanded revenge, going to war with the Lannisters. Instead, the prince welcomed Jaime Lannister when he sneaked into Dorne, allowed him and Princess Myrcella to return to King's Landing, and sent his son with them. People didn't like it." Varys shortened her this story, omitting the fact that Ellaria killed Dorian, for the good of the alliance.
She nodded and for a moment there was silence again. Everyone was waiting for what Visenya would say, should they go back to planning the war or would she continue to pursue the topic of her uncles?
She wanted to ask about Trystane and Myrcella, but she guessed that they must have died somehow too.
And neither of the two bothered to tell her about it, as if they were afraid of how she would react. As if they had something to do with it and were afraid of the consequences... Is that how they see her? Did they think she would do something to Tyrion because Oberyn decided to fight for him? How could she blame him?
She is trying everything to trust them because she has to if they are to change the world together, and they are afraid to be honest with her?
"Remember what you said, Tyrion. That you will never betray my trust." she said to her Hand, giving him a warning look, this would be their first and last warning about sincerity. She then moved her gaze to Varys, who was standing across the table. "When you came to Meereen with Tyrion, I wanted to kill you." she started and moved from her place to go around the table and stand in front of him. "That's the first thing that came to my mind when I saw you. After all, it was because of you that my aunt died. You tried to kill me too. I wondered for a long time whether I did the right thing..." she stopped for a moment, looking at the map, but quickly returned her eyes to him. "But thanks to you, I have two allies. Perhaps you deserve a little trust. But you have to promise me something."
"If you demand blind loyalty-"
"No." she interrupted quickly and smiled gently. "Courage. And honesty." she emphasized these two words, making it clear that this was the only and last time they kept something from her. "I want you to promise that you will never hide anything from me, no matter how nasty and hurtful the truth is. And that if I stray from the right path, you won't start conspiring against me, instead you'll tell me straight to my face what I'm doing wrong."
"I promise, my Queen." We will see how much your word is worth.
"Let me remind you what I promised you." she looked from one to the other. "If you ever betray me, I will burn you alive."
"Forgive me, my Queen." She turned around when she heard Grey Worm's voice. "The Red Priestess of As'shai has arrived and requests to see you."
She wasn't expecting any visitors today, much less this one. However, due to how the Red Priests had helped control the situation in Meereen, she decided not to postpone this meeting until later. Besides, the atmosphere in the chamber had become tense and everyone could use a little break from focusing on the war.
She was interested in what this woman had to tell her. She assumed it must have been something important since she had come specifically to meet her.
She was waiting for her in the main hall, so it wasn't far.
"Dāria Visenya." the woman greeted, bowing. "Īlen iā buzdari istin, sindita se liortan, qilontan se ozbārtan. Issa iā rigle naejot rhaenagon pryjatys hen belma."
*"Queen Visenya. I was once a slave, bought and sold, beaten and branded. It is truly an honor to meet the Breaker of Chains."*
"Vokto melna dohaertan maghagon lyks isse Meereen, syt bona iksan syt mirre isse aōha gēlȳn. Tolvie mēre hen ao iksis olvie treseo rȳ Zaldrīzesdōron." she replied, smiling at her. "Skoros iksis aōha brōzi?"
*"The red priests helped bring order to Meereen, for which I am eternally grateful. You are all welcome on Dragonstone. What is your name?"*
"Brōzio ñuha iksis Melisandre."
*"My name is Melisandre."*
"She once served another, Stannis, who also wanted the Iron Throne." she glanced over her shoulder at Varys. Did they know each other or did the birds just chirp him about her? "It didn't end very well for him, did it?"
Melisandre didn't say anything for a moment, but she didn't lower her eyes. She soon replied:
"No."
"Fortunately, the new Queen is gracious and gives a second chance to those who once walked on the wrong path." Vis decided to speak so that the conversation wouldn't go off track and Varys wouldn't feel too confident. "The Lord of Light doesn't have many followers in Westeros. Well, that may change after the recent destruction of the Sept of Baelor."
"Even those who do not believe in Lord can serve in his cause."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. She herself did not believe in any gods, but she did not forbid others to do so. After all, she was experiencing things herself that shouldn't have been possible. But she was more inclined to believe in magic rather than deities that control people's lives.
"And what does your Lord expect from me? Because I assume you asked for a meeting to tell me something like that."
"Se Bantāzma iksis māzis se mērī dārilaros bona iksin kivio kessa maghagon se ñāqes."
*"The Long Night is coming and only the Prince who was promised will bring the dawn."*
"Dārilaros... Tricky, because this noun has no gender in High Valyrian, doesn't it?" she looked at Missandei, looking for confirmation. The girl nodded, smiling gently. "Do you think I can be this... Princess that was promised? Why?"
"Hen ōrbar se lopor ziry kessa sagon āzma, se tolī jēdri hen botagon sigligon isse perzys naejot mazverdagon se vys iā arlie. Zȳhon ērinagon toliot sȳndror kessa maghagon jaedos bona kessa dōrī mōris, morghon itself kessa obūljagon zȳha ybon, se lī qilōni morghūljagon vīlībāzma syt zȳhon zitso kessa sagon sigligon." she explained, still speaking Valyrian for some reason. Perhaps it was all some kind of prophecy they learned while training to become priests and priestesses?
*"He will be born of smoke and salt, and reborn through suffering and fire to remake the world. His victory over darkness will bring summer that will never end, death itself will bend its knee, and those who died fighting his cause will be reborn."*
She decides to don't think about this prophecy, she was convinced that she could only see her future in dreams. Moreover, it was hard for her to believe that someone had not modified these predictions to fit specific people.
She might be grateful to the Red Priests for taking control of the situation in Meereen, but she wasn't going to believe every word they said.
But we know a few things. She was born when flames were raging in the capital, so there was also smoke. Her mother gave birth to her in pain, with lots of tears, salt.
The Dothraki follow her because she walked out of the massive fire unhurt.
She dreamed of dead people kneeling before her.
"Sounds like a pretty general description, considering prophecies are read indirectly. As long as they are taken seriously at all." she replied very skeptically.
"Your father believed in this prophecy, the dream of your great ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror. Didn't he?" she asked ser Arthur, as if she knew perfectly well about his entire relationship with Rhaegar. She surprised him, but he didn't show it and just nodded. Melisandre then returned her gaze to Visenya. "You have dreams too, don't you, my Queen?"
"Everyone dreams sometimes about things that are more or less probable."
Again her answer was skeptical, but this time because she didn't want to reveal much, not because she didn't believe.
This woman was suspicious, she knew things she shouldn't have known. People who knew a lot - like Varys - were always suspicious. But they knew so much because they had spies everywhere, they didn't rely on... She can't even say on what.
Melisandre didn't say anything else, but smiled, as if she knew that some part of Visenya believed her words.
Too bad Vis didn't know that while she was being held captive by the Dothraki, the most important priestess of R'hllor came to Meereen and uttered the exact same words, regarding the Queen as the one who was promised.
"I offer you a chamber on Dragonstone and all my hospitality, but now you must forgive me, I have important duties." naturally, it was an excuse, as she felt uncomfortable talking to her and didn't want to go back to planning the war now.
She needed some time outside, alone. In the evening they will return to the plans of conquering the Seven Kingdoms.