Warning: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire, nor this Story.

This story deserves to be available for readers to read. This Story was removed, it deserved to be available, Original Author is Blackwolf2019 as i don't own this story or its work.

Comments and everything below is from the OA.

Chapter 33: Spring

Very sorry I am later than usual. Currently in Morocco atm so have been busy and lacking good wifi tae post. I will be more regular again soon so dinnae worry. Hope you all enjoy and feel free tae comment as always.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Tyrion

It was strangely refreshing to see King's Landing free of the snow with only shit and blood in the streets again. You could see whose murdered corpse was on the road or which streets had no sewerage running down it again. Spring was finally here after fifteen excruciating years. No doubt ordered by his father who had most likely been made Hand to the Father to spite him and Aerys' s children.But why do I still feel cold winds and ice down my spine?It wasn't a hard question to answer really. Tyrion had seen the five war galleys that had been sailed and ditched in King's Landing with inverted Greyjoy banners. Their contents had made a disgusting sight; three galleys filled to the brim with Iron Born heads and disembowelled torsos. Tyrion had vomited from the smell of it. The last two ships had been filled with the old crones of the Iron Born. The Last of the Iron Born. He had heard wails for sons and daughters that had been cut down fighting the wolves, their corpses either loaded into the galleys before him now or put on spikes across the Iron Islands. They had wailed of grandsons shipped off to the Wall and granddaughters to Bear Island to be turned into bears. And they had screamed every time they mentioned the wolves and how all they did was disembowel and behead them because"Squids are only good enough for dying by Northern Steel just like everyone else that wrongs the North."

They had all slit their throats after that on the docks for everyone to see after saying that. The Unsullied hadn't had enough time to stop them as the Last of the Iron Born fell dead in sight of every dock worker and passer-by. Tyrion hadn't stopped feeling the Ice run down his neck since. He could feel it now as he sat at the Small Council table to discuss the war with the North. He didn't doubt that this would be a tense meeting. He could feel the tension in the room already with only the councillors present. It would be a hard meeting.But when are they ever?

Tyrion's work hadn't been easy for the last fifteen years. Winter alone had caused problems for an unprepared realm that had focused on war and power plays over food stores. Only Dorne and the Southern most parts of the Reach had been untouched by the snow and had limited what food they could get from Westeros. That meant that to supplement the lack of food that could be grown they would have to get food from Essos. In one regard that had been easy. Meereen hadn't suffered as much as the other cities Daenerys had"liberated"and the city was still terrified enough of the Dragon Queen that they provided some foods. But that was still not enough to feed the realm's Lords and Knights which required other cities to trade with in the East.And all of them decided to band together behind the Iron Bank.That had been one of the worst missives he had received in his life. Trade would only come if they paid the Bank what was due.Six Million Dragons of fucking misery.Dealing with the Iron Bank made Tarly's disputes with the Dothraki whenever they entered the Reach look tame. The Targaryens' annoyance that the usurpers' debts came to them because the Bank was smart enough to deal with the crown not the family name and the Bank's power over food had forced tense negotiations; made worse by Victarion attacking a convey of Braavosi merchants ships that had been sighted on the East coast heading North. In the end they had got a deal for food but it had involved heavy taxes across the realm to pay instalments to the bank; already increased to support Daenerys' armies and fill the royal coffers.Including my own Kingdom; not as much as that on the Riverlands and Vale but my gold mines are now empty paying a debt that we've only just paid half of.

The thought of his lost wealth had made Tyrion take another drink. He knew he would be needing more as soon as he saw his Queen and King enter the room. Daenerys' face seemed to match the flames of her dragons as she strode in with a furious expression. Her husband's face looked similarly angry if not worse but that might have just been due to the litany of scars across his face that made the King of the Seven Kingdoms look a lot less ethereal in beauty and less like hisFather.Neither of them looked in a particularly negotiable mood as they sat down.At least they are in agreement instead of arguing over the realm and Aegon's bastard sons and daughters with the Princess of Dorne.

The Queen didn't give them the chance to mutter your Grace as she spoke demandingly.

"I want answers for howmyIron Fleet has been destroyed without us knowing!"

Tyrion sighed and took another drink as Varys answered calmly. "It appears your Grace that the Northmen have managed to take the Iron Islands by surprise. No word came at all to suggest this."

Daenerys scowled at the Master of Whispers.

"And how does the Master of Whispers not know the goings on of my realm!?"

Her shout was a powerful one.And a very petulant one as Father would say though.

Varys sighed. "My little birds on the Iron Islands did not send any missives Your Grace. Nor were there any ravens from the Lords of an attack. And winter has been hard on my birds North of the Neck. Not a word has come from them in order for us to pre-empt this."

"We know nothing of the North except for their dead." Harry Strickland muttered.

Tyrion watched Daenerys' skin flare at that comment; turning as red as dragon flame.It's true though. All we know is who was killed by Dragons. Those ravens remind us of that much.It had started a year into winter when the Targaryens received ravens from the North. They had smugly expected it to be the Northern houses informing them they no longer backed the King in the North and had overthrown him. They had all been wrong. Every house in the North from Winterfell to Last Hearth and the Mountains to Skagos had sent ravens listing their dead, both low and high born from Daenerys'"war for the dawn."There were thousands of names that had come by raven, repeating every year of winter that passed and increasing both Daenerys and Aegon's fury.The North Remembers Hugo Wull. The North Remembers Torren and Duncan Liddle. The North Remembers Tormund Giantsbane. The North Remembers Maege Mormont. The North Remembers Crowfood Umber.

The North Remembers Arya Stark.That one name out of thousands always came written in blood from Winterfell with Targaryen heraldry stamped upside down with a wolf snarling above it.

"They will all be dead once me and my dragons are done!" Daenerys screamed.

The small council had turned silent for a moment. Tyrion took another drink.How did I wind up in service to another Tyrant?

Aegon spoke slowly after his wife's outburst. "How goes the invasion plans?"

Tyrion looked at them grimly as he ignored the click of Aegon's jaw. "With the Iron Born Fleet, we'll only have the Crown and Redwyne Fleet to bring the Unsullied into Moat Cailin. We also won't have Iron Born to reave the West Coast either. The chances of us being able to open a gateway to the North for the entire army and to divide the Northmen are much slimmer."

"They would still have been slim with the Iron Born. Reavers make useless soldiers. It is better that they are gone to no longer cause us any suffering." Randyll Tarly said bluntly.

Daenerys didn't seem to like that answer. But then again, she didn't like the Warden of the South; a title given by Aegon and leaving the Tyrells only with the Lord Paramountcy.

"My dragons can burn where the Iron Born intended and all of the North if need be." Daenerys replied heatedly.

"And they will die if you do. The Northmen were able to put arrows both normal and giant through your beasts' scales and they will have prepared themselves to drop them from the sky from whatever keep in the North and we would lose any advantage over the skies." Randyll Tarly responded simply.

Daenerys looked even more infuriated with Tarly.

"He has a fair point. I would not have our dragons at risk. Nor our armies when I command them on the field." Aegon agreed.

You want to fight on the field to prove yourself a warrior as well as a King. You fought to take King's Landing but the scars on your face make you look weak.Tyrion thought to himself.

"You speak like we should let them invade us Tarly?" Daenerys said darkly.

"I do Your Grace. The Northmen will be too secure in their lands. It is better to have them come South where we know the territory and it is easier to control supply chains. If we fight wisely on the field, we will be able to trap them and either beat them with our forces or your dragons. I would rather have control of the environment than march the might of the Reach into a land bigger than six Kingdoms and much more dangerous." Randyll answered calmly.

"You would willingly risk our lands Tarly?" Garlan Tyrell asked angrily.

You'll be fighting under Tarly in this war. How it must annoy you so.

"I would. The might of the Reach, Dorne and the Golden Company will be better suited in our own lands in the South against the Northerners and their allies." Tarly responded emotionlessly.

"You still expect the Vale and Riverlands to side with the Northmen against dragons." Aegon stated with another click in the jaw.

Tyrion nodded. "He's right to Your Graces. As much as we've been unable to prove anything in regards to the Lady Stark. I imagine she or those allied to her will come to aid you. Whether they side with the Northmen is debatable. Lady Stark is more likely to see sense on fighting dragons."

"The Northmen are willing to go South regardless of the lack of advantage in foreign soil if the Iron Islands tell us anything." Strickland pointed out.

Do Giants make them that confident on felling dragons? All it would take is a surprise and the giants would be made

"You have such little faith in my reign Lord Tarly. You speak like all of the realm is in rebellion." Daenerys said coldly.

"It is better you have less control than you have and more knowledge on your enemies. I wouldn't be the only one slighted by your Dothraki Savages or Unsullied. One need only look at the Knights of the Bold in this city to see that." Tarly said wisely.

My sister had the faith militant. I have a group of smallfolk in the city that want justice for Ser Barristan and all those killed and raped by Dothraki in the taking of king's Landing. I'm not sure which is worse.

"The Bold are nothing more than looters who question the truth and the authority of the city watch. They wouldn't dare if near my children." Daenerys responded bluntly.

"And yet they have killed over one hundred Unsullied and the same in Dothraki in back alleys in the snow." Randyll shot back.

Daenerys looked ready to attack the man and declare him a traitor. He was in a certain way, bringing one of Dickon's daughters in contact with Aegon's eldest bastard and having had his son marry a Hightower girl to secure power in the Reach. Tyrion doubted the man wanted to overthrow Daenerys but he wanted to secure the Reach and throne when she was dead.And have the Tyrells punished for being poor Liege Lords since Robert's Rebellion.Aegon interrupted thankfully before she exploded.

"How many Kingdoms do you think we have Lord Tyrion?" Aegon questioned with a hint of distaste. He didn't like Tarly's words as much as Daenerys but hid it well behind all the scars.He needs to listen because he wants to prove himself on the field against Snow.

"I would say you have four not including the Crownlands. You have the Stormlands via the Company, Dorne through yourrelations, the Reach and the Westerlands." Tyrion replied easily.

Though

"And what are the numbers?" Aegon asked.

"You currently have access to 8000 men and one hundred surviving elephants in Dorne. Whether that will increase from the Storm lords is debatable but they have been repeatedly spent since the War of the Five Kings and winter. It wouldn't amount to more than six thousand after all of that." Strickland said confidently.

Arianne answered her paramour sweetly.Like a Viper's poison her words."You will have Dorne and twenty-five thousand spears. I have sent Dark star South to muster them."

"The Reach has some forty thousand men at the most. Winter and your Dothraki raiders have reduced our small folk significantly."

Still the largest here though.Tyrion thought as they all turned to him. "The Westerlands number some ten thousand at the most. My forces have been hit very hard over the years.

I'm lucky to have that many these days.The Westerlands had been smashed by Robb Stark until his death and had been damaged further holding the reign together under Cersei. They had become even more diminished after Daenerys' conquest.

"It is still more than the Northerners will ever have even without my 10,000 Dothraki and 3000 unsullied in the war." Daenerys added confidently.Maybe if her Dothraki numbered 40,000 and her Unsullied 8000 like they once were I would be more confident. Winter and hatred of them has not been kind to them.

Randyll Tarly scowled at the mention of Dothraki. "With the Vale and Riverlands the Northerners are likely to still have some sixty thousand men. Potentially more if they use all of their reserves. We will have to plan accordingly."

"Then myself and Lord Tarly will work on strategy whilst the rest of you muster our forces." Aegon said before Daenerys could to her irritancy.

Daenerys look displeased as she stood. "You are all dismissed."

And with the Dragon Queen left abruptly, followed by Aegon in the opposite direction. Tyrion stayed until there was just him and Varys. Tyrion took another long sip.

"That went better than expected." Tyrion started.

"There have been worse Small Council Meetings. Though ones for war always feel particularly painful." Varys replied calmly.

"Will your faction to remove Daenerys suspend for the war? I would rather have our forces united against the North." Tyrion asked coyly.

He knew well enough that Varys had been stirring. He hadn't been the one to start the Bold but had spread whispers that it was the Dragon Queen and her Dothraki's fault. He'd encouraged Aegon to keep all his bastards in court and to have the eldest betrothed soon as well. And they were the only whisper Tyrion could find over the years. Even though there were more than could be imagined.

Varys smiled. "Perhaps. I believe for the good of the realm it is best toportraya united front. I will not meddle with Lords against Daenerys for the time being."

That's a lie.Tyrion thought to himself as Varys continued.

"And will you bring all of your forces to this war? Or do you intend to do something akin to your Father and the Late Mace Tyrell."

Tyrion smiled wryly. Internally he was angry.How did he know I had considered that very notion?Tyrion had contemplated sending his most disloyal lords to die. Win or lose he would have less to deal with in his position of power.

"I'm not my father." Tyrion said bluntly.

"And yet you act so similar." Varys said simply as he floated off, leaving Tyrion alone to his drink.

War is here and the realm will be torn apart again. May we be the victor and have the Northmen fall once and for all.Tyrion thought as he felt another chill down his spine.

Hope you all enjoyed it! As you can see Tyrion has been busy wae the realm. More info on the realm will come but you can see winter has been harsh and the bank worse.

Feel free too ask any questions that come too mind.