Twelve years passed and the Seven Kingdoms had enjoyed a period of relative peace. With Robert and the Lannisters in charge of most everything, very few were willing to make any kind of move against anyone else. House Greyjoy kept the waters safe, and the battle tactics of our people were refined with every pirate lord that thought to try and test us.

Serena dedicated herself to becoming a proficient sailor and was just as competent as any veteran hand by two years into my service. She had dedicated herself to starting from the very bottom, learning how to scrub the decks, stacking supplies, and tying knots. She worked her way up to navigation, steering, and line handling. The other crewmen on my ship were impressed by her desire to learn and took every opportunity to teach her any nuance she might be missing. Her sea legs, however, were something that took a bit longer to develop. We discovered that she had terrible balance on rocky shores and she would normally have to simply go into a cabin and sit while we rode storms out. All said, however, she proved herself capable over the years and eventually earned a ship of her own in my fleet.

Allen continued to make a name for himself with his magic. He would regularly speak to Maesters who were curious about the return of magic and how he was able to wield it more proficiently than anyone else they'd heard of. He maintained his reputation as the supreme spellcaster of the Seven Kingdoms and was regularly asked to use his magic to either solve problems for smaller Houses, or use it to hinder rival Houses. His services came with a significant cost and they helped to make me quite rich compared to the rest of my family. This gave us additional influence over happenings in the Iron Island and I was happy to use that to improve our docks and build more ships.

One or two of Robert's bastards, as well as their mothers, came in each year. Allen nicknamed the tower 'The King's Staff' since it was full of his offspring. Everyone else thought it was because I'd built it after becoming friends with the King. As the children grew, I took them into my service. They would become skilled sailors, smiths, carpenters, and combatants. I helped to raise and teach the oldest of them, then passed them along to Serena so she could teach them tactics. While many of them wouldn't be ready for full service for many years, they would become some of the most skilled artisans in the Seven Kingdoms with the amount of time they would have practicing their skills.

All this preparation was finally coming to a head with the death of Jon Arryn. When I received the news only a few days after his demise, I called a family meeting. Now I sat at the dining table with Father and my brothers. Even Aeron was in attendance since I'd asked him to come. He'd taken some welcome time away from King's Landing. Since the Ironborn were so proficient at keeping the shipping lanes safe that he wasn't exactly needed in the capitol. He remained there as my eyes and ears, but for this meeting, I needed him here.

"I doubt we have much to worry about," Huron said, his tone almost bored with the topic. "Pirates come and go. Each one thinks they'll be the one to break our lines and each time we kill them to a man. You'd think that after nearly twenty years they would understand that some rag-tag collection of criminals are no match for Ironborn warriors."

"You sound disappointed that we're performing our duties effectively, Huron," Father chuckled. "Would you prefer they could break our lines?"

"It would be a welcome surprise for once," Huron shrugged. "As it is, things are too easy. I can tell my men are growing complacent."

"Men reflect their leaders," Balon sniped before sipping his wine.

Huron cut him a sharp expression, "Are you suggesting I'm growing soft or complacent, Brother?"

"Perish the thought," Balon smirked and sipped his wine. "I simply remember when you were restless and eagerly sought out challenges. It seems our sister's influence has made you more docile. It's a wonder you haven't try to bed her and-"

"Utter another word about her and I'll open your throat, Balon," Aeron growled. Aeron did not let much anger him, but he had a very sensitive spot when it came to me.

"You overstep yourself, Balon," Huron said in a cold, pointed manner. I'd heard him use that tone before several times and nearly every time he used it, he killed a man soon after. "House Greyjoy is enjoying its finest reputation since its inception and regardless of my desire to see combat, I will not jeopardize our reputation for the sake of selfishness."

"What combat we see is bloody and profitable," Victarion crossed his arms and glared at Balon. "It may not be as enjoyable, but it does grow our fleets and fill our pockets."

"I cannot believe that in a matter of decades that House Greyjoy would so quickly abandon the old ways to be content with position and reputation," Balon spat, making his disgust for the current state of affairs clear.

"Then perhaps you should stop your whinging and listen to what I have to say," I sighed at Balon. "I called this meeting for a reason, after all."

"And who are you to call a meeting, Merida?" Balon shouted. "You are not the head of this House, nor are you above us in station! House Greyjoy does not heed your call!"

I looked around the table to lead his gaze to Father and our brothers, "The rest of the family clearly disagrees. Everyone's here, after all. Including you, Balon."

Balon leaned forward and tapped the table, "Rest assured that I would not be had Father not insisted. I have no desire to answer the call of soe upjumped whore who-"

Balon's words were violently cut off by Aeron's mug shattering against his face.

Aeron stood and drew a dagger from his hip, pointing it Balon's way, "What did I just tell you, Balon? What did I say?"

Father raised a hand and gave Aeron an authoritative expression, "Aeron is right, Balon. Merida is a Greyjoy. It doesn't matter how she became one. She is blessed by the Drowned God and elevated by King Aerys before his death. There were scant minutes when she was not a part of this family and I'll not hear any talk of that from now on. Am I understood?"

Balon was staring daggers at Aeron as he wiped his face clean of wine and blood, "As you wish, Father."

Aeron still looked like he was ready to throttle Balon then and there but he reeled in his anger and sat back down.

Euron and Victarion both seemed upset with Balon as well but were remaining tempered… for now. I knew neither of them were truly pleased with the way the Ironborn's culture had changed since I arrived. In fact, if it weren't for the occasional skirmish with pirates or smugglers, they likely would have done the occasional raiding if they thought they could get away with it. Our new position essentially shackled the Kraken and forced it to domesticate, even against its own nature. I fully understood that if I wasn't around, the Greyjoys would still be pillaging looters and barely scraping by. That fact didn't seem to please my brothers, however, as I understood that their grandfather had raised them to respect the old ways, while Father worked to slowly wean our people away from them.

Father waited until the tension in the room had died down a bit before looking at me, "Now, Merida, you've called us together for a reason. Would you care to share what that reason might be?"

As all eyes focused on me, I gave a smile, "The reason should please my brothers, actually, if not our father. The Drowned God sent me a dream recently. In this dream, I saw a kraken attacking a great black bear. Three of its tentacles burst from the waves and dragged the bear into the ocean. Once the bear drowned, the kraken claimed the land that the bear once lived upon."

My brothers stared at me silently for some time before Father broke the silence, "Aeron, have you considered the meaning of this dream? I have to believe Merida already consulted you about it."

Aeron nodded, "She did, Father. And I believe that the Drowned God wishes for House Greyjoy to take Bear Island. The three tentacles of the Kraken must represent Victarian, Balon, and Euron, as they are true-born Greyjoy captains."

"The Drowned God doesn't wish for his precious priestess to carry out his will?" Balon sneered at me.

I glared back at him, "I am obeying his will by telling you what he wishes to have done, Balon. If he does not wish me to go, then I trust in his will. I may be kept behind for a different purpose."

Euron leaned forward and looked at me, "You are sure this is what the Drowned God desires?" His expression was searching, boring into me as if looking for the truth of the matter.

"I only dreamt the dream, Euron," I replied then motioned to Aeron. "It is Aeron I trust to interpret it, and that is his interpretation."

"We cannot simply attack Bear Island without cause," Victarion said thoughtfully. "The King would see it as a betrayal and send his fleet."

Balon laughed, "So what if he does? Each of our fleets dwarfs his. All of them combined are unmatched. And besides, he will not have time to respond to our aggression since he's traveling the King's Road north to Castle Stark, or so says Aeron. Gone to tell old Eddard that he's Hand now."

"You're all forgetting the thing you need before leaving or considering the King's reaction," I interrupted their debate.

"And what is that, dear Sister?" Euron smirked.

"Father's permission," I replied and looked to Father. "It may be the Drowned God's will, but Father is the head of our House. You cannot put wind to sail without his allowance."

Father looked at me, and then to Aeron, "You're certain this is what the Drowned God desires, Aeron?"

Aeron sat back in his chair, "I have consulted with the other Drowned Men. We spoke at length about the meaning behind Merida's dream. While this was my interpretation, the others agreed that it was correct. I have to believe that the collective wisdom of the Drowned Men is correct in this matter. The Drown God desires House Greyjoy's captain sons to take Bear Island."

"Has the Drowned God given you any other visions about what will happen after this battle should I approve of it?" Father asked me.

I shrugged lightly, "Only a vision of a hammer hovering over an anvil placed at the center of the Iron Island with six stars shining around it."

Father looked to Aeron, "What make you of this portent?"

"To this we could only speculate," Aeron confessed. "The consensus is that The six stars represent each of us here at this table; the acknowledged leadership of House Greyjoy. We believe the hammer and anvil represent the Ironborn will be reforged into something greater under the guidance of these bright stars."

"New territory and further glory ahead,"Victarion grinned. "The Drowned God must truly see this as the dawning of a new age of glory for House Greyjoy."

Balon wheeled on Father, "You cannot be thinking of denying us this chance, can you? Aeron and Merida both agree that we should do this."

"It does seem like a prime opportunity," Euron agreed. "If Merida was truly given the dream by the Drowned God, and Aeron believes this is his will, I must insist that we be allowed to act on it. We can have our fleets ready in a week's time!"

"I would not take your entire fleets," I said cautiously.

"And why not?" Balon asked incredulously. "With those numbers we could overwhelm Bear Island and the Mormonts handily."

"Be that as it may," I replied, "but your fleets are made up of many sailors who came aboard because you were no longer pillaging and facing the King's wrath. How many ships do you think would remain loyal if you told them you were going to go against the wishes of the King? One? Ten? Perhaps dozens? Could you afford for any of them sending word to King's Landing?"

"Merida's right," Euron nodded. "Our fleets are only so large because we've been bolstered by those who never sailed to raid. It would be foolish to think they would change their minds after so long."

"What would you suggest we do, Sister?" Victarion asked.

"If I had been chosen for this," I said thoughtfully, "I would take ten ships of my most loyal men. Men who would follow me to the edge of the world. Anyone with any less loyalty would waiver in the face of this prospect."

"Keenly considered, Sister," Victarion nodded. "A smaller force may have a more difficult time taking the island, but they would be more dedicated to the goal. And ten ships for each of us is still nearly two thousand men."

"Two thousand against a possible five thousand," Euron hummed in thought. "The odds would not be in our favor."

"The Mormonts cannot simply muster the whole of their fighting force all at once," Balon assured the others. At any given time they have approximately five hundred men at the ready for a few raiding ships. And we haven't raided them in decades now. No doubt their defenses will be lowered. By the time we establish a beachhead and push into the island, it will be too late even if they are able to muster the rest of their defenses."

"We take advantage of their complacency," Victarion grinned. "A surprise attack with a larger force than they're used to fighting should give us a significant advantage."

Euron smirked, "It would seem the Drowned God has created a way for us to finally take that damned island by giving us the means to seem peaceful over time. Merida's dream is a welcome gift, indeed."

The room fell silent as everyone looked at Father. I couldn't help but pity him. He had lived his life trying to steer the Ironborn away from reading and pillaging, but had sons who saw glory in it. I had helped him achieve his dream, and now I was bringing his sons the excuse they needed to return to the old ways. I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He was wrestling with his desire for his people to move away from their outdated and dead-end culture, and obeying the desires of his god. Regardless of his decision, he would be demonized by the King and the Seven Kingdoms, or ridiculed and likely overthrown by one of his sons so that they could attempt the raid anyway.

"Very well," Father sighed. "But you will do as Merida suggested. Take only ten ships with your most loyal men. If this is to be done, we must ensure that those who go are dedicated to the success of the raid."

Balon, Victarion, and Euron all stood at once, eager to begin preparations. Getting ten ships each prepared for a raid would take a week or so. Gathering provisions, choosing the men they would take, and arming them for a proper land battle while keeping their intentions hidden was no simple task. Bear Island was approximately fifteen-hundred miles from the Iron Island, and provisioning for such a journey would take careful planning. Back when pillaging was the norm, they would simply raid villages along the coast for supplies until they arrived at Bear Island, but in order to keep their intentions hidden, they would need to bring all the supplies they would need. Granted, the trip would only take between ten or eleven days with a strong wind, but I could delay that by making the water's current work against them.

As my brothers left the room, Aeron and I stayed behind. I looked up at Father with an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry, Father. I know this isn't what you want, but-"

"You must pass on the messages the Drowned God gives you," he finished, nodding in understanding. "Your brothers see only the opportunity to return to the old ways, Merida. For my part, I would not have agreed to sending them if I didn't think they would have killed me for the chance."

I arched my brow and looked at him, curious about what he was thinking, "Do you not want them to go?"

"I cannot stop them from going even if I wished to, Merida," was his reply.

I looked up at Aeron and he gave me a firm, assertive nod. I turned back to Father, "I can stop them…"

Father chuckled at me, "I'm afraid that would start a war within our House, my dear. I would not wish to see that."

"That needn't be the case, though," I offered. "My fleet is already prepared to leave for our patrol of the Seven Kingdoms. The majority of Euron's fleet is still out on their patrol. All I would need to do is wait for them to leave port and follow them with the entirety of my fleet. Allen, Serena, and I could stop them."

"Merida…" Father gasped with a mixture of surprise and horror, "You would kill your brothers and thousands of your countrymen to stop them from fulfilling the desire of the Drowned God."

"Merida does not agree with the assessment of the Drowned Men in this matter, Father," Aeron admitted. "She does not believe we should breach the peace that you have worked so long to establish, even if it flies in the face of the Drowned God's will."

"King Robert has been a stalwart ally of ours ever since we helped him take his throne," I insisted. "To turn our cloaks like this and betray his trust would set the Ironborn back by generations. Please… even it means I must battle against my brothers, it would be better than damning our people to scraping by on the island, shunned by everyone once again!"

Father's face was a mask of sadness, but resigned conviction hardened within that sadness and he sat up straight, "You speak with wisdom, Merida. Regardless of the desires of the Drowned God, we must see to the preservation of our people. And though it saddens me to admit it, I know in my heart that my sons would have returned to the old ways once I had passed. For the people of the Iron Island… the captain sons of House Greyjoy must fall."

He looked at me with determination, "Do what you must to stop them, Daughter. The peace must be upheld at all costs."

I bowed my head to Father, "As you command, Father. What is dead may never die."

"What is dead may never die," he and Aeron intoned in response.

Aeron and I took our leave from the dining hall. As we walked through Castle Pyke, Aeron looked down at me, "You did not tell them about the rest of your dream. About the stag, the wolf, and the lion."

I looked up at him, giving him a pained expression, "Do you honestly think it would have changed their minds?"

He took several moments to consider the question before shaking his head, "No. Father was right. They were determined to drag the Ironborn back to the old ways once again at one point or another."

"So regardless of the need to stop them now or in the future, we still would have needed to stop them at some point," I sighed. "This was inevitable."

"Better to wash away the flotsam so that the future is clear for our people," Aeron nodded. "You see the truth of it. We cannot survive as we have been, and the Iron Price is no longer what it needed to be in times past. Our brothers could not see that and cling to outdated ideals. Even the Drowned Men can see the shift where our brothers cannot."

"Did you pen the missive I asked you to prepare?" I asked, preferring to stick to the professional side of the matter. For my part, I was fond of both Victarion and Euron. But I understood they wouldn't change, so I needed to begin distancing myself from them now so that the emotional baggage of what I had to do didn't make me hesitate when the time came for action.

"I did, though I wish you had been wrong and it hadn't been needed," Aeron sighed.

"Send the raven tonight," I replied. "Robert will have just arrived in Winterfell by the time it arrives and they'll need to use that time to ride west towards . Tomorrow, you'll need to return to King's Landing. The Master of Ships will need to be prepared to gather the royal fleet if the King commands it."

"As you wish, Sister," Aeron said and stopped to focus on me. "Good luck in the battle to come."

I smiled up at him, "Good luck with the vipers in the capitol. You know they'll have their doubts about you after what our brothers are going to do."

"I'll pay them no mind just as I do now," he smirked.

"I'll see you when you return with the fleet, then," I said, then bowed my head and made my way to my quarters. Aeron's loyalty was based purely on my connection with the Drowned God. He and the other Drowned Men believed me without doubt so long as I professed that what I said was the god's will. I didn't like deceiving Aeron like this, but just as I told him before, this was inevitable. One way or another, the old ways had to die. And if I had to bury House Greyjoy in the process, so be it.