Volantis 305 AC (Takes place just after the Battle of Winterfell).
Belicho.
With Qarth and its men now his, he had thought to look North to Norvos and Qohor yet it was to Volantis he'd found himself needing to sail. Already he could feel the power of the stones and they'd shown him things he'd never imagined. Images of death and destruction on a scale not seen since the last man who had wielded their power and unlike him, Belicho would not fall short. Time though was his enemy and he feared that Malaquo had already failed him which meant the dragons would be arriving much sooner upon his shores.
He hoped the guest he'd sent for would offer some valuable insight as he'd relied on second-hand information for far too long. People who'd seen but not been a part of the Dragonqueen's forces and none who knew a thing about the wolf she'd aligned herself with. Belicho needed more and so even though it took him away from what he needed to do, he welcomed the sight of Volantis in the distance. As the ship docked and he looked to his escort, he was eager to get behind the walls of his palace. There was still danger to be faced and he was still far too vulnerable. Belicho not liking the irony that the closer he got to his prize and the stronger he became, the weaker he felt in some ways.
"Is he here?" he asked the captain of his guards when he arrived at the manse.
"He is, he and the woman and child he travels with."
"Woman and child?" he asked annoyedly.
"He refused to leave them behind, Magister." his captain said worriedly.
"Very well, have him brought to my rooms after I've changed." he said before he brushed past the captain and made his way to his rooms.
He'd not expected a woman and child to be with Samwell Tarly, though they could be useful should the man prove uncooperative. Belicho was certain that he would not and the same force that had told him where Samwell Tarly would be was now telling him that he'd do everything he wished him to do. After bathing and changing his clothes, he sent for Samwell and took his seat behind his desk. As usual, he didn't have to wait long for his orders to be carried out.
The man who entered the room was fat, slovenly, and clearly a coward. He looked at him worriedly and sweated profusely. Samwell was practically shaking under his gaze and for some reason he felt the need to make him shake and shiver that little bit longer. After some time he looked at Samwell and smiled, the fat fool smiling too as he bid him take a seat. Unsurprisingly when he offered him some food it was gratefully accepted and just watching the man eat made him happy that he no longer cared for such things.
"Do you know why you've been brought to me Lord Tarly?" he asked.
"I'm not a lord." Samwell said and Belicho tried not to look as disgusted as he felt when the food fell from the fat man's mouth when he spoke.
"Perhaps that is something you wish to rectify?" he asked and Samwell nodded almost immediately "Jon Snow, you know him do you not?"
"He was my friend." Samwell said sadly.
"Was?" he asked.
"I thought him so, but I was wrong, he never cared about me only her.."
"The Dragonqueen?" he asked and Samwell nodded.
He was forced to listen to the man blubber his way through the deaths of his brother and father at the hands of Daenerys Targaryen and how his friend had refused to stand up for him and justice. Belicho both close to laughter and to dragging the fat fool from his seat and his rooms so he could teach him what it was like to be a man. Cowardice was something he abhorred as much as self-pity and Samwell Tarly was full of both. Yet he had been close to Jon Snow once and it was time to test what insight if any he could offer him.
"What do you think of Jon Snow, apart from his failures as a friend" he asked.
"I don't understand." Samwell said.
"Do you think him a capable warrior? A good man? Is he smart or clever, impulsive or rash?" he asked moving forward in his seat.
"Jon is the best swordsman I've ever seen, none come close. He's brave but he's not smart or clever and he cares about people far too much." Samwell said.
"How so?"
"He'd rather risk himself than anyone else and until he met the Dragonqueen he cared more for others than for his own comforts. When we were at the Wall together he'd give me some of his food, he'd always make sure I was warm and had enough blankets." Samwell said a fond look on his face.
"And he is this way with others too?"
"He was." Samwell said sullenly.
"We will talk later, Lord Tarly until then my home is yours, and should you require anything then you only need to ask it of one of the servants."
"Thank you." the fat man stuttered as he was led from his room.
At dinner that night he was glad he no longer had an appetite as watching the fat man eat would have taken it from him if he did. Samwell seemed to wish to sample every single dish on offer and it was not something he enjoyed looking at. Was it not for the woman with him then Belicho would have taken his leaver far earlier than he did. Gilly, he found fascinating, and even for a man like him who felt no sympathy for anyone, he felt a little for her due to her being tied to the waste of good air that had found herself with.
"And you think him a reasonable man, do you Lady Gilly?" he asked as Samwell sent a servant for more of something or other.
"He is, Magister, Jon was always kind to me and baby Sam. He saved so many of those of us who lived beyond the Wall and I don't understand why we need to hide from him." Gilly said her voice soft and nervous.
"Perhaps it's a misunderstanding, though Samwell seems to believe it's to do with the Dragonqueen." Belicho said and hoped it was concern and not intrigue that his voice portrayed.
"I…"
"Gilly?" he asked softly.
"She was nice to us too, she even played with baby Sam… I don't understand any of this." Gilly said almost tearfully and Belicho noticed that not only did Samwell not seek to offer her comfort but he was far too engrossed in filling his fat face to even notice her discomfort in the first place.
"Maybe if you write a letter for Jon Snow I could see it delivered to him, It could be a way to make things right between you all?" Belicho said feigning helpfulness.
"I can't write, I can read some but I can't write other than my name." Gilly said clearly embarrassed.
"I have scribes, Lady Gilly, if you just speak the words they can write them for you, and then you just sign your name so that Jon Snow knows the letter comes from you." he said and she looked at him as if what he'd said was impossible before she then nodded eagerly.
Between them both he'd get the insights into Jon Snow that he needed and then they'd have served their usefulness to him. Gilly and her babe he may actually let live. It bought him nothing to see them dead and though it didn't bring them very much to keep them alive either, it may still be something he could or would do. As for the fat man, he had plans for Samwell Tarly and if the boy was lucky then it would be the dragon that ended him and not him.
Braavos 305 AC.
Arya.
Jon had wanted to leave her behind and she'd for the briefest moment considered it. She knew Gendry had wanted her to stay and the thoughts of having her babe in Westeros and in the comfort of the Red Keep were ones that she had truly considered. Arya had even listened to the Grandmaester that had been sent to replace Qyburn when he'd told her that she was only a few moons away and that it would be best for the babe if she didn't travel. Then she'd gone to speak to the Dothraki woman that had told Dany that she was with child and instead listened to her.
" Only at the end must you rest, it is known."
Arya much preferred her words to the words of the Grandmaester and Gendry. As for Jon, he had simply asked her what it was she had wished to do and she'd told him that she didn't want to be left behind when they left. No one could tell her when they'd return and the thoughts of not seeing her brother, her niece, and Dany for who knows how long were far too troubling. There was also what it was she wished to do once her babe was born and that couldn't happen if Jon and Dany were off conquering Essos.
So Gendry had reluctantly agreed and they'd set sail and it was while they were on the ship that Jon had told her where his first port of call was to be. Braavos was a city she knew all too well and when Jon told her that he was going to the House of Black and White she'd shuddered. Never had she expected to set foot in the temple again and she had no wish for Jon to do so either. It had led to an argument and she'd only later laughed at the irony of it. She loved Jon with all her heart because he'd never told her what she couldn't do and then she'd tried to do so to him.
" You can't Jon."
" I can't?" he said his eyebrow-raising a little.
" You don't know what these people are like, how dangerous they are. This isn't dead men or a Night King, the things they can do are far worse." she said worriedly.
" As are the things I intend to threaten them with." Jon said.
" Jon… you can't. I'll go, I'll speak to them." she said determinedly.
" What's that game you said you learned there? The one you played with Sansa?" he asked.
" The game of faces."
" Aye, that's the one. What was it you said about it? That with it you can know who's telling a lie, was that it?"
" Aye it was." she said a little confused.
" I intend to play that game with the Faceless Men little sister and I intend to play it and win. By the time I leave the House of Black and White, they'll be left in no doubt that should anything happen to Dany, Rhaella, me, or anyone I care about. Should I even for one moment suspect that they played a role in any accident that befalls those who have my favor, then I'll end them all. Fire and Blood, Arya, believe me, there is nothing in this world more dangerous than that."
She'd lost the argument, had realized later how stupid it was of her to have the argument, and had at least got Jon to agree to allow her to join him, Tormund, and Jaime Lannister when they went to the House of Black and White. The closer she had gotten to Braavos, the more she began to be sure that it wasn't the danger of the Faceless Men that she feared in regard to Jon. Her brother had beaten death once already, he'd looked into the face of the Red God and said not today. No, it wasn't that she feared, it was what he'd think of her once he'd met the Kindly Man or had spoken to Jaqen that terrified her.
They sailed under the Titan and Gendry stood with her on the deck as they did so. Dany was in her cabin with Jon and Rhaella and Drogon and Rhaegal flew over the ship while Lyarhaex rested on the deck ahead of her. Rhaella's dragon would soon be too large to do so and she doubted that she'd make it to Meereen before she had to take to the sky and rest on land as her bigger brothers did. Arya smiled when Gendry's arms went around her from behind, his fingers joining together as they rested on her swollen belly. His words were lost to the wind and she knew they were for their babe and not for her, and as the ship docked she felt his lips kiss her neck.
"Come, we had better wake my brother up." she said softly and then kissed his lips before they walked down to the cabin.
They were met at the docks by a large group of men and Arya listened as they told Jon and Dany they represented the Sealord and that he wished for them to meet. Her brother looked to his wife and nodded before he then kissed both her and Rhaella. The commotion when Rhaegal landed was something that amused her greatly and when she looked at Jon, she saw he was smiling too. He gave another kiss to Dany and to Rhaella and with a nod to her, Tormund and Jaime, Jon then began to move. They walked away from the men who'd come to greet them and Arya could see the worried look on the man's face as they'd mounted Rhaegal and took off. Rhaegal heading straight for the House of Black and White. It didn't take long to reach it and Rhaegal roared loudly before he landed, his meaning was clear and it was one she prayed was taken.
"Dany will meet with the Sealord and arrange the meeting with the Iron Bank. We'll meet her once we're done here. You're sure you wish to do this?" Jon asked and she nodded as Jaime reached down to his sword and Tormund looked worriedly at the large building.
"That won't be needed, they'll not attack full on, it's not them." she said and the knight relaxed a little while Tormund simply shrugged his shoulders.
It was the Kindly Man himself who opened the door to let them in and she felt as if she was stepping back in time. She was Arry, she was a girl who sold cockles, and then she was no one. The feeling of a hand taking hers almost made her reach for Needle or the Catspaw and then she saw Jon was looking at her with concern and that it was his hand she felt. With a smile and a squeeze of his fingers, all was well and he let go of her hand as they moved further into the temple.
"What brings dragons to our place of worship?" the Kindly Man asked.
"A girl would see a friendlier face." she said and she saw how both Jon and Jaime looked at the Kindly Man and then at Jaqen who stood there now instead.
"A man had not expected to see a girl again." Jaqen said looking at her and not Jon or Jaime.
"A girl had no wish to see a man again." she replied.
"A girl is no longer Arya Stark of Winterfell?" Jaqen asked curiously.
"A girl is always Arya Stark of Winterfell and this is a girl's brother." she said with a soft smile as she looked to Jon.
"A dragon is well known to a man." Jaqen said as he looked at Jon.
"Good, that saves time that I'd rather spend far from here and with far better company." Jon said his face expressionless and his voice betraying no emotion.
"A dragon has nothing to fear from the Many-Faced God." Jaqen said to Jon and with a nod to her.
"Nor will he or anyone he cares about ever have to." Jon said and Jaqen nodded again "A man knows what a dragon will do should his words be false?" Jon asked and Arya smirked at him using Jaqen's way of speaking, as did Jaqen she believed, though it was so brief that she doubted if anyone else noticed.
"A man knows. A man's god has shown a man the truth of things and so a dragon and those he cares about have nothing now or ever to fear from the Many-Faced God." Jaqen said.
Jon looked at her and she nodded before she shook her head when he went to walk from the hall. He stayed still for a moment and she thought he'd tell her to come with him or even take her hand and lead her from this place. But as always he never made her do that which she did not want to. Instead, he, Tormund, and Jaime walked back out and through the doors and she heard Rhaegal roar once he'd done so, again his meaning clear.
"A man is pleased to see a girl again." Jaqen said as he looked at her.
"As is a girl to see a man." she said truthfully.
"A man meant what he said, Arya Stark of Winterfell. A dragon and those he cares about have nothing to fear from the Many-Faced God and should anyone seek our aid in bringing the gift they'll find but one answer." Jaqen said his smirk now more pronounced.
"Not Today." she said and he nodded.
"Not Today." Jaqen said as he turned to walk away before stopping and looking over his shoulder "A man has some advice for a girl and her brother. Fear the shadows and those that bind them and always keep Dragonsteel close at hand."
She watched as he seemed to just disappear and then she turned and walked from the hall. In the shadows, she saw a girl dressed as an acolyte as she cleaned the floor and when she looked at her, Arya swore it was the Waif that she saw once more. In the blink of an eye, the girl had a different face and by the time she'd opened the door and stepped out into the light the image was one she was sure she'd just imagined. Still, as she climbed on Rhaegal's back and they took to the sky, she hoped she'd never have to deal with the Faceless Men again.
Braavos 305 AC.
Brienne.
She'd been sad when she heard what had happened to Sansa and the sentence the king had given her. In some ways, death may have been more preferable for the girl she had tried to protect, rather than exile in such a form. Brienne was angry too, at the girl and at the world that had made her so. For surely it was the world and not the girl herself who could sink so low. The things that Sansa had suffered had made her who she was, hadn't they?
Had she lived the life that she was supposed to then the girl who'd sought her brother's protection when they went to the Wall and who had shown such happiness and relief when they were reunited, that girl would have been the only girl she could have been. Brienne had never understood why Sansa had doubted her brother but had trusted a man like Littlefinger, nor why she'd been so against the queen without even giving her a chance. Shed tried as best as she could to guide her and had failed. Though a part of her was certain now that it wasn't just her own failure, as no one else had been able to guide her for true either.
Not one of the things that Sansa had said about the King or Queen had proved even close to the truth. Both of them were just what the realm had always needed and she was a clear example that they rewarded not based on what you were but who you were. They had given her a white cloak, a purpose, and serving a good king and queen was all she'd ever wished it could be. Serving with Jaime and Jorah, sparring with the King, and even listening to Tormund's crude japes and attempts to get her into his bed had made her days far more fulfilling than ever before. Yet she found she longed for battle too, she wished to swing her sword in more than anger and it seemed that they were drawing ever closer to that point.
How long they'd stay in Braavos was not something she knew and she was surprised when the king, Arya, Tormund, and Jaime went flying one way while she, the queen, and Rhaella, Jorah, Daario, Grey Worm, and Missandei went another. She was pleased with the offer of a horse though and she felt far better riding by the carriage with Jorah on the other side as they moved to the Sealord's Palace. Their journey through the city soon attracted a crowd and she found her eyes moving from the carriage to those that lined the street. At one point she was sure she saw the strangest looking woman she'd ever seen and then heard a sound from Drogon that she'd never heard him make before. Brienne though shook it from her mind as they arrived at their destination.
"Be alert." Jorah said after she'd dismounted and she nodded and then moved to open the carriage door.
"Your grace." she said softly and almost reverently as Dany climbed out of the carriage and she looked on as Missandei handed the princess over to the queen.
The palace was huge with domed towers and a large fountain at its front and Brienne could see men practicing their water dancing next to it. Though none were a threat or even looked their way. She and Jorah took up position on either side of the queen and the princess and with Daario, Grey Worm, and a group of his Unsullied also with them, she felt there was no danger here for either of them. As if to reinforce that both Drogon and Lyarhaex then flew over the palace, the younger dragon flying far lower than the older one, and as they did so they let out their roars. Brienne could see the beaming smile on the queen's face as she leaned close to her daughter, though she didn't hear the words that were spoken to the princess.
They were escorted to rooms and servants were provided should they be needed. The queen though simply wished to speak to the Sealord and to them move onto the Iron Bank, so they didn't wait too long to do the first of those things. The room they were taken to was as large as the Throne Room in the Red Keep. Although it was far more full of furniture and decorations and so it looked smaller. There were elaborate tables and chairs, a raised dais, and Myrish rugs strewn out across the floor. When they entered the room the Sealord rose to his feet and he looked friendly enough when he saw the queen. Though Brienne knew well that appearances can often be deceitful.
"The Mother of Dragons and Breaker of Chains, long have I wished to meet you, Queen Daenerys. My name is Tormo Fregar, Sealord of Braavos and this is my First Sword, Larmo Faragon." the Sealord said motioning to another man.
"I am most pleased to be welcomed so, Sealord. Though I would beg a favor of you if I may, a letter I'd see delivered." the queen asked.
"A favor for you, my queen, it would be my great honor to see it carried out." Tormo said with a smile on his face.
"For the Iron Bank, Sealord." the queen said and Tormo nodded.
The Queen and Missandei sat down as did Daario, while she, Jorah, Grey Worm, and the Unsullied did not. Then when the food was brought in she moved to stop anyone from eating or drinking any. only for the Sealord to beat her to it.
"I have no doubt that your guards and advisors and perhaps even your own history have left you wary about those you do not know, my queen, or what their motives may be. Let me put you at rest with mine own and show that you are among friends." Tormo said as he clapped his hands the servants stepped away "Pick any dish or any jug, my queen. Decide which one it is that Tormo must eat and drink from to show that it's safe for you to do so to.".
With a nod from the queen, Tormo picked a piece of food from a plate and ate it, and then drank from the jug she decided. He even did so again when the queen picked another of both and by then even Brienne was relaxed and comfortable enough to believe there was no danger of poisoning here. As she listened to what the man said a few moments later, she then believed there was to be no danger from the Sealord ever.
"Braavos was founded by freemen, my queen. Men and women who would not be tied down by the bonds of slavery. So for us to have the Breaker of Chains in our halls is…" Tormo stopped speaking when a man hurried in and whispered something in his ear "See that he's shown here immediately, go quickly do not delay. Larmo go with them and make sure it's done."
"Sealord?" the queen asked concernedly and so Brienne moved closer to the table.
"Forgive me, my queen. The king has arrived and some of my most foolish of men saw the dragon's landing as a threat. No harm has come to his grace, but tensions were raised." Tormo said and Brienne saw the queen stiffen a little and she didn't relax until the king, Arya, Jaime, and Tormund walked into the room with Ghost by the king's side.
The kiss that was shared between the king and queen and the one he placed on the princess's cheek brought a smile to Brienne's face. As did the way the king whispered into the queen's ear and the smile on her face at whatever was said. Her smile then only grew at the words the Sealord said when the king took his seat.
"Do you intend to break more chains, my queen?" Tormo asked almost eagerly as the queen looked to the king who nodded back at her.
"We intend to break them all, Sealord." the queen said and Brienne felt her pride flush at that, a good king and queen indeed.
Wintertown 305 AC.
Sansa Stark.
She looked around at the bare walls, the barren floor, and the dirty windows. A bed, a table, and chair, a chest for her clothing, and a shared privy. This was what her life was to be and she'd rather be dead than live it. The first night she'd stayed here she'd been so relieved that she'd kept her head that she'd welcomed even this. Wood had been provided to her for a fire, the bed though far harder than what she was used to sleep in was at least warm and food was brought to her.
Those comforts were only thought so by her because of her relief and the longer she had sat in this room, the less she liked it. The first night her food had been prepared for her but that was no longer to be the case and she realized to her horror that she would now have to cook for herself. It was not the last horrifying realization that she made, for it wasn't just cooking for herself that he'd now have to contend with. There were no servants to run her bath and in fact, there wasn't even a true bath she'd found to her dismay. Her clothes would need to be kept clean by her and her alone and she'd been aghast to find that the coin she was given was to last her for a moon and not just a daily expense.
That she'd found out to her cost when she'd spent it all on things she deemed essential, though things she now knew were very much not. She'd found out other things too when she'd set foot outside the door for the first time, things that had forced her to stay inside far more than not since then. They didn't wish her here, didn't want her here, and tolerated her presence rather than welcomed it. What was worse was not only did they not appreciate what she'd done for them, they'd not even accepted it was her that had done it.
" You won back Winterfell?"
" How? Did you swing a sword?"
"Did you f ight against the Boltons?"
" Was it you that captured Ramsay and beat him to the ground?"
The words were spoken dismissively and angrily to her and yet the anger in them was nothing compared to the anger that she faced when she spoke up about the Dragonwhore, her bastard brother, and their Dragonspawn.
" I'm a wolf, a true wolf, not some Bastard Dragon or some Dragonwhore. They soiled my family home by birthing their Dragonspawn under its roof, and I pray to the seven that they at least burned the sheets after they'd soiled them so." she said haughtily.
She should not have, she knew that now and she cursed her tongue for letting her down as she now felt the bruise that had formed on her head. Were it not for the guards then she may very well not have made it back to this hovel that was now her home. Even with them, she was lucky to do so relatively unharmed as the screams and shouts she'd aimed at those filthy wretches who'd dared try to lay their grubby hands on her had not gone down well.
" For the Princess of the North." a young boy had said and then Sansa had seen stars as the stone hit hard against her head.
It hadn't been some filthy child from Wintertown she'd seen as she'd crashed to the ground. No, it had been a brother that she had given up for dead from the moment she'd heard that Ramsay had held him hostage. Red hair and blue eyes and a panicked look on his face as he'd run from the arrows and as she'd watched from the hill far away and in complete safety. It had been Rickon's face she'd seen and not some foolish boy from Wintertown who'd believed in the lies that dragon's spewed.
Sansa had not left her room for the next few days, she'd welcomed the attentions of the woman who'd come to see about her injury and had tried to make a friend only to find that the woman had no intention of ever naming her as such. Another thing that had been stolen from her she'd thought as she'd sat alone in her room that night. Each day was a struggle, she'd cook her food, place her dirty clothing to one side, and know that she'd need to clean it soon. When she did leave her room she'd feel the looks as they were directed at her and she would walk the streets of the filthy town alone and in silence, or she'd be silent at least.
" A false wolf."
" A Trout, a smelly fish just like her mother before her."
" She's lucky she didn't face the flames or otherwise she'd be a cooked fish".
Who knew children could be so cruel? Sansa did, for was she not one of them for the longest time, and had she not been cruel and mean to those she'd named as kin.
" Horseface."
" Savage."
" A bastard just like him."
Her words haunted her and she remembered then how she, Jeyne, and Beth would laugh when Arya's tears fell after they'd spoken those words aloud. She'd never had to face that, not until Joffrey and his cruelty anyway. Sansa had always been her father's princess, her mother's pride and joy, and no one would dare speak words like that to her, not then at least.
Some nights she found herself looking out through the window. The lights of Winterfell were always clear for her to see and she didn't need to close her eyes to imagine the feasts and dances that were going on in its halls. She could almost smell the lemon cakes, feel the softness of her bed and the comfort of the seats in the embroidery room. Sansa belonged there and not here, not in this place, this was not the life she was meant to lead.
She'd seen it, so very clearly she'd seen it when she was on the stand and when he'd brought her to her knees. All the wrongs she'd done, all the mistakes she'd made and the path she should have taken. Sansa had seen it and for the briefest moment, she'd sought forgiveness for it, pleaded for it, and hoped for it all in equal measure. Had she got it at that moment then she'd have welcomed death when it came, as it was she'd almost welcome it now. Climbing into her bed she felt her tears fall and sleep was hard to come by. When it did it was with but one thought in her head and one prayer offered to the gods.
"Please wake me from this nightmare that has become my life." she said softly.
Braavos 305 AC.
Ned Dayne.
Never did he imagine he'd set foot in Braavos and as Arianne and Daemon made for a tavern, Ned decided to explore the city. The king had taken flight on his dragon and the queen had made her way to the Sealord's Palace. For him, it was through the streets of Braavos that his feet took him. He watched as men fought against men in duels and he admired how they danced away from each other. Ned looked on as woman offered their services in a way he'd never seen before. It was subtle and as much of a dance as the duels and only that one of his guards explained it to him, Ned would never have considered such a thing.
"It's a seduction, my lord." Arlo said.
"A what?" he asked as they moved through the streets.
"A seduction, it's not like the Street of Silk and they don't wear their tears like those in Volantis."
"Tears?" he asked confused.
"A tattoo of a tear my lord, to show what it is they are."
"They mark them?" he asked aghast.
"To them, they are slaves, property and they're free to do with them as they wish." Arlo said.
"But not here?" he asked curiously.
"No, my lord. Here the people are free and they choose what it is they wish to be. Some choose to become courtesans and others work in houses that men frequent." Arlo said.
"Whores all the same, my lord." Jarlod said and Arlo scoffed.
"All men are whores, Jarlod, or do we not also sell ourselves for coin." Arlo said and Ned chuckled at that as they walked through the streets.
He heard the gasp behind him and as he turned he crashed into the woman and sent something crashing to the ground. Arlo moved to that while Ned helped her back to her feet and found himself looking into the deepest and darkest set of purple eyes he'd ever seen. As she steadied herself it wasn't just her eyes that he felt drawn to. The woman's skin was dark and a golden brown and her hair was as jet black as dark as any he'd ever seen, bar the king's. She had a look on her face that he couldn't quite place and he wasn't sure if she was looking at him or past him.
"Forgive me my clumsiness, my lady." he said apologetically.
"You're from Westeros?" the woman asked almost hopefully.
"From Dorne, my lady." he said.
"Dorne? For True, you're from Dorne?" She asked excitedly.
"I am, my lady. Lord Ned Dayne from Starfall." he said and then he had to catch her as she fainted.
He carried her in his arms and sent Jarlod to find a room or a place where she could rest and a healer in case there was more wrong to her than had at first seemed. The first was easy to find, the second far harder, and as he laid her down on a bed it was a courtesan and not a healer who told him that there was nothing truly wrong with her and it was perhaps just the heat of the sun that had made her faint. The relief he felt at that was palpable as was the confusion he felt when looking at the thing that had fallen when he'd bumped into her and that Arlo had picked up.
It was a mask of a sort unlike any he'd ever seen before. A set of metal links that would cover the entire face except for the eyes. As he held it in his hands the woman woke up and sat up almost panicked in the bed before she looked at him with suspicion in her eyes.
"Forgive me, my lady. You fainted in the street and I brought you here to recover, I give you my oath that no liberties have been taken with you other than I carried you in mine arms to bring you here." Ned said as he looked at her.
"You carried me?" she asked softly.
"I did, my lady. Are you well? Do you need anything? Some water, food?" he asked and she shook her head at the offer of food but did accept some water.
He saw her eyes look to his back and then she frowned before she looked around the room and saw Dawn leaning against the wall.
"Your sword is unusual, Lord Dayne." she said a moment later and he found he quite enjoyed hearing her say his name.
"Dawn, my lady. The sword of my house." he said as he got up from his seat and walked over to it before removing it from its sheathe.
There had been many who looked upon Dawn with wonder, few who'd looked upon it and shed tears and yet that was the woman did and so he quickly sheathed it again.
"Are you well, my lady, truly?" he asked and she nodded.
"I'm just tired, Lord Dayne, perhaps I could rest?" she asked and he told her that of course, she could.
"I'll leave you to your rest." he said softly.
"Could you stay, my lord, until I sleep at least?" she asked and he nodded.
The call of the privy came just as night fell and he was loathe to leave her alone in the room. Watching her sleep, the rise and fall of her chest, and the small little noises she had made when she did so had been surprising comforting to him. He'd found the time to simply fly by and the hours to feel like mere moments. With a look to the bed, he moved quietly from the room and hurried to make water. Ned was gone for no more than a moment but when he came back so was the woman from the bed and he felt her loss most keenly. He'd not even gotten her name and as he moved to pick up Dawn from where he let it, he saw a note attached to the scabbard.
To The Sword of the Morning,
I am in your debt,
R.
Simple words and his mind went to the initial as he tried to imagine what the R stood for. Were it not for that then perhaps his mind would have wondered how she'd known he was the Sword of the Morning for he'd not told her such.
Braavos 305 AC.
Aegon.
The meeting with the Faceless Men had gone as well as he'd expected and Arya had told him that they truly had nothing to fear from them, which had come as a great relief. His sister had been uncomfortable with him going there and while he was there, and he knew she'd seen how he'd taken it all in while they'd spoken in its halls. Arya had spent much too much of her life in that place and it was still a part of her life they'd not spoken on. Aegon wasn't sure if it ever was going to be and he knew she'd have preferred it if he'd never seen it for himself.
Yet it hadn't been for Arya he'd gone there, though he was glad for her that he had. His visit had been to ensure the Faceless Men never threatened him or those he loved and to take a weapon away from the Iron Banks's hand. It had been quicker than he'd expected and so it was to the Sealord's Palace and not the Iron Bank that Rhaegal took them and it was perhaps for that reason it was nearly a fight they found themselves in. Well, that and an angered Tormund Giantsbane when a man dared to raise a spear in his direction.
"Put that down or I'll shove it up your fucking arse." Tormund said after they'd landed and guards had moved their way.
"Tormund." he said trying to calm the situation and glad to see that while Jaime's hand was on his sword it wasn't drawn just yet.
"You've gone soft King Crow, look there's only twenty of them, we can take them. You take the nine and ten over there and I'll take this little one with the tight arse. Half the shaft I reckon, half I'll shove up his arse it by the time you're done, Har." Tormund said laughing like a loon.
He was relieved that Rhaegal at least was acting so nonchalant about it all. The green dragon was just lazing in the sun a few feet away from them, so whatever danger they may have been in was simply imagined and not real. Drogon flew high in the sky and should he be needed then he would be down to the ground in moments and though he couldn't see Lyarhaex, he knew the red dragon was nearby. It was the feeling of him running to him though that brought a smile to his face and whether it was Ghost or the man's voice that brought the spears down, he preferred to think it was the former.
"I thought you weren't well." he said kneeling down to rub Ghost's fur and looking in the wolf's eyes "Hungry?" he asked and received a lick from his tongue.
"My King, my name is Larmo Faragon, the First Sword of Braavos. The Queen and the Sealord, as well as your other companion's, await you inside.
"You're the First Sword?" Arya asked stepping forward.
"I am, my lady."
"Did you know, Syrio Forel?" she asked sadly.
"I had the pleasure of being trained under him." Larmo said with a warm smile.
"He was my friend." Arya said and Ghost moved over to her and licked her hand.
They walked into the palace and Aegon chuckled when she saw the red dragon on the roof. He wagered that if he was standing where she was then he'd be able to see Dany and Rhaella from whatever gap she'd found or made there.
"A fine beast, my king" Larmo said looking to Ghost.
"Ghost is far more than a beast, Larmo. He and I would appreciate it if some food was provided to him, cooked I think." Aegon said to a nod from his wolf.
"I shall see it's done, my king."
When he entered the hall it was to his wife and daughter he went and he kissed them both. He looked to the food on the table and saw Brienne nod and so he grabbed a little of the meat and fed it to Ghost, before he then turned and whispered in his wife's ear.
"See the hole in the roof." Aegon whispered and Dany nodded slightly "Lyarhaex right at this exact moment is looking down through that hole to make sure this little dragon is in no danger." he said as his hand brushed over Rhaella and Dany smiled.
The words that the Sealord said surprised him while the Iron Bank refusing to meet them until the morrow did not. He welcomed the offer of rooms in the Sealord's Palace and that they were given ones with doors that opened out onto a private terrace. After washing, eating, and bidding their goodnights to everyone, he and Dany took Rhaella out to Lyarhaex as she waited for them out on the terrace. Ghost had been fed well and seemed to much prefer the cold breeze of the night to the warm sun and Arya had gone back to the ship to stay with Gendry, Lady Malora, and Lady Kinvara among others.
"You think his words true, Aegon?" Dany asked as Lyarhaex chirped at Rhaella who he held in his arms.
"I think he wishes to name you his queen and hopes that you'll keep Braavos as free and protected as one of your kingdoms."
"Our kingdoms." she said brushing her hand over Lyarhaex's scales.
"Aye, our kingdoms. I think he'd not have named me as king without you which is something that endears the man to me more than anything." he said trying not to laugh at the look on Rhaella's face as Lyarhaex brushed against her.
"Why?" Dany asked before Aegon shushed her for a moment to answer the red dragon who'd been chirping at him.
"Aye, I'll fly with you when your bigger. Aye, I know I'm not your rider but if you want her on your back then you'll be taking me too, agreed? Good." he said to chirps and a look from Dany which he hoped his own back to her let her know he'd speak more on this later.
"Why, Aegon?" she asked when he'd gotten lost in thought.
"Everyone should know it's both of us, together. I have no wish to be king without you just as I know you don't want to be queen without me. Tormo understands that and it's the Breaker of Chains he wants to kneel to and not her husband, though it'll be both us he swears to." he said and Dany leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
They had told Tormo not to do so until after their meeting with the Iron Bank and so after a good night's sleep and breaking their fast, he and Dany made their way to the Iron Bank with Jaime, Tormund, Daario, Brienne, and some Unsullied as their guards. Missandei stayed with Rhaella in the Sealord's Palace and Rhaegal, Lyarhaex, Ghost, Jorah, Grey Worm, and Arya would all ensure their daughter's safety. Aegon wasn't surprised to see the building was a large and imposing one nor that they were kept waiting even after they arrived. He even gave up his arms when asked and chuckled when Tormund then took an age to give up his own.
"For fuck's sake King Crow, do you have any idea how long it takes to kill a man with your bare hands?" Tormund said as he handed over the last of his knives.
"But they're so much tastier to eat fresh and unmarked I find." he said to a loud laugh from his friend.
"We'll need a fire." Tormund said with a huge grin on his face.
"Plenty of that around here, old friend." he said motioning to the sconces.
"Hmm, some of them do look tasty." Tormund said licking his lips and winking at one of the more nervous of the guards.
He and Dany were led into a room and within moments of taking their seats, three men made their way in and sat opposite them. With a look to Dany, he saw her smile and the roar that rang out almost shook the room so loud was it. The sound of Drogon then landing outside was even louder and Aegon smirked when Dany began to speak.
"In case you think us unprotected." his wife said and he welcomed the gulps from two of the men "Now to business."
He sat and listened as the bankers offered platitudes, spoke about how happy they were to have them both in their halls and how much they looked forward to dealing with them in the future. Aegon trying his best not to yawn or sigh loudly and instead focussing his attention on his wife. How Dany was able to look so interested at the dull words that were being spoken was beyond him and impressed him greatly. It was a talent he'd not been able to manage, this ability to look interested in things that didn't interest him. He knew that as a king, queen, lord, or lady it was a talent that at times was most needed but he'd found he'd little patience within himself to learn it.
"Which brings us to the matter of the debt." one of the bankers said and Aegon stopped his visual worshipping of his wife and got ready to listen to her speak and to worship her in another way.
"The Debt?" Dany asked.
"That the crown owes to the Iron Bank, your grace." the weasel-faced man said as he looked to Aegon with an almost imploring look to get involved.
"I borrowed no coin for you, nor as far as I'm aware did my husband." Dany said and Aegon tried not to chuckle.
"I believe I'd have remembered had I done so." Aegon said and Dany smirked.
"The Iron Bank doesn't deal with king's or queen's directly your grace. We lend to the crown and the crown only and its debts carry forward." one of the other men said and Aegon tried hard to remember his name.
"And you lent this coin to Cersei Lannister, did you not, Tycho?" Dany said and Aegon shook his head, he'd thought the man was called something much different.
"As she was who sat the Iron Throne, your grace."
"My throne, my husband's throne, Tycho Nestoris. While I and my husband were fighting for said throne and so by what right did you lend coin to our enemy?"
"She was…"
"A usurper with no right to the throne, yet you lent her coin still and now you wish for me to pay for it. Did Cersei pay Stannis Baratheon's debt, Tycho? Before you lent her coin did she pay the coin you'd loaned to yet another usurper?" "Dany asked and Aegon saw how the man moved back in his seat.
"Your grace I..We"
"I asked a question and I'd seek an answer and an answer now." Dany said not raising her voice although given the loud roar that Drogon had just made, there was really no need to.
"I would need to check our books… a moment…"
"Do so and do so quickly and if you can find it there then you had better be able to show it to my husband and me, for your word means little to either of us." Dany said and Aegon wanted nothing more than to sit back and enjoy the show.
It had been Davos who'd told them of he and Stannis borrowing the coin. Stannis had agreed to add it to the debts that Robert Baratheon had piled up as king and to pay it when he came to the throne. When? That was a keyword and one his wife had picked up on. The Iron Bank may claim to support the crown but they had supported Stannis and Cersei, two people who had no claim on it with Dany's existence and even less on it with his own.
"She did not, your grace." Tycho said after few moments.
"Usurpers, Usurpers everywhere and behind them all was the Iron Bank. As wrong as your support for Robert Baratheon may have been and especially from our own perspective, he at least had a true claim to the throne by right of conquest if not blood. But his debts have been paid to you in full with coin from our kingdoms. Stannis Baratheon, Cersei Lannister, their debts died with them, and by all rights legal, moral, and practical they are not ours to pay."
"The Iron Bank is not an enemy you wish to make, your grace." Tycho said warningly.
"Neither is my wife, Tycho, but feel free to continue along the lines you are and we'll find out soon who is the most dangerous enemy to have." he said with a look on his face that dared them to do so.
"Are you aware of the Sealord's plans, Tycho." Dany said and the banker turned his attention from him and then to his wife.
"Your grace?" Tycho asked confused.
"Braavos is to swear its allegiance to my husband and me, a kingdom in all but name. Have you any idea what happens to Lords in our kingdoms that seek to defraud the crown and its people?" Dany asked and Aegon smirked.
"I can imagine." Tycho said with a gulp.
"Oh, there's no need for that, Tycho. In the North where my husband was raised, there is an old saying, The man who passes the sentence show swing the sword. No doubt my husband's renown as a swordsman has reached even the ears of the Iron Bank but I'll let you in on a little secret." Dany said moving a little closer to the table and Aegon was stunned when the three bankers moved closer too "The tales don't begin to do him justice."
He listened to the cough and spluttering one of the men made as the other handed him a glass of water while Tycho looked from him to Dany.
"With Braavos under our rule, the Iron Bank now serves at our pleasure. See to it that you never incur our displeasure. I look forward to working with the Iron Bank in the future but I can so easily picture a future without them and they wouldn't be the only bank that has fallen from grace. Tell me, Tycho, how are the Rogares faring these days?" Dany said rising to her feet.
"The debt will be written off, your grace." Tycho said and Dany nodded as Aegon walked out of the room beside her.
No sooner had they left the large room and then the Iron Bank itself than he'd picked her up off her feet and was kissing her deeply.
"By the gods, don't ever let me get on your bad side." he said to a laugh from her.
"I may not have a sword, Aegon Targaryen but I am not defenseless." she said smiling at him.
"Never, my love." he said kissing her again.
"Daenerys." a voice called out and Dany looked over his shoulder forcing Aegon to let her down and turn around.
"Quaithe?" Dany asked the strange woman that now stood in front of them, his wife holding her hand up so that Tormund, Brienne, and Jaime didn't stop the woman from moving closer to them.
"Not exactly." the woman said as she moved closer to him "Long have I wished to meet you brother." the woman said as she took off her mask and Aegon found himself face to face with a beautiful young woman with deep purple eyes.
Braavos 305 AC.
Rhaenys.
She stood at the docks and watched the dragons fly in the air and then as one of them landed. Rhaenys saw the man as he climbed up on the green one before it took to the sky and she was no more than mere feet away from her brother when he did so. More than anything she'd wanted to run to him, to stop him before he flew away, and though it was clear he'd be coming back, a part of her worried that he would not.
When Daenerys walked by her holding her niece, the blood of her blood in her arms, Rhaenys had wanted to go to her too but she could not. Now that they were here she found that she was afraid. Would they accept her for who she was? Would they believe her? What proof did she really have? She closed her eyes and heard words that she'd spoken once to Daenerys now being spoken back to her and she welcomed them.
" The Dragons know, do you?"
They knew, she could feel that they knew the truth of her and if all else failed then it would be with them that she sought to prove herself. After Daenerys and her niece had gone one way and Aegon another, Rhaenys went yet another. She walked around in a daze almost and where it not for the sight of the sword on the man's back then she'd have continued to do so. The white blade though called out to her and she had to find out if what she was seeing was what she had thought it to be. Seeing it up close, hearing the man say his name, it had been too much for her, and before she knew it was drifting and dreaming of another time and place.
" No Balerion, this way."
" Not in there."
" Where are you hiding?"
" Art, have you soon Balerion?"
" Here he is princess."
" Thank you, Art. Say thank you Balerion."
A man with brighter purple eyes than her and her father had but as close to her as her father had been. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, and somehow his kin had now found her while carrying that very same sword. It had been too much and it had taken a lot out of her. She'd found that she was comforted in his presence though and whether it was because he was Arthur's kin or for some other reason, she cared not.
It had been hard for her to sneak away and she felt that if she stayed with Ned Dayne then he'd have brought her to Daenerys and Aegon anyway, but she needed to be with her egg and so after leaving a note she snuck back to her rooms. She slept that night and dreamt of her brother's face, a face so much like her father's, and yet his coloring like hers was very much not. Rhaenys held her egg close to her chest and when she woke the next morning she knew that she could wait no longer. After following them both to the Iron Bank and waiting out in the sun, when she saw them walk from the building her mind was already made up.
"Daenerys." she called out as Aegon spun their aunt around and placed kisses on her face.
"Quaithe?" Daenerys said as she moved forward and as her brother turned to look at her.
His eyes were purple now, the same as hers were and she smiled at that, as in all her dreams they'd always been grey. Their hair was the same though his was curled like their father's and her own was more straight like her mother's had been. When she took off the mask she heard the gasp from her aunt.
"Not exactly." she said looking to Aegon "Long have I wished to meet you brother." she said and her arms went around him.
He only held her for the briefest moment and then she felt the black dragon when it landed. Rhaenys turned away from Aegon and walked to the dragon before leaning out her hand to brush over its snout. The trill the dragon made was a true one and she heard the footsteps and turned to see Aegon and Dany move to her. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man she'd not seen in five and twenty years.
"Who are you?" Aegon asked and there was no doubt or suspicion in those eyes that were the same as her one, there was recognition and she believed there was hope too.
"My name is Rhaenys Targaryen, I'm your sister, Aegon." she said and Drogon let out a noise that was a roar but not one before she then felt her brother's arms around her once more.