Volantis 307 AC.
Ned Dayne.
It had felt wrong to him to leave Norvos after they'd spent all their time and effort in getting there and readying the city for whatever came its way. He'd made some friends there or met some people he felt could be friends and abandoning them felt wrong to him. Even though it was not by their choice and it was the Norvosi that he held responsible, it felt wrong. What felt right was seeing the dragons in the air as they sailed through the bay. He looked forward to seeing the king and queen again and to seeing Princess Rhaenys, as he knew so did Princess Arianne.
Arianne and Rhaenys had spent little time together, the princess had been more worried about her mother than the fact that a cousin she thought long dead was somehow very much not. While he had found himself trying to equate the woman he'd bumped into and helped in the market to a princess that he and the entirety of Dorne had thought murdered when she was but a girl. In his hand he held the note she'd left for him, the words still bringing a smile to his face.
To The Sword of the Morning,
I am in your debt,
R.
He knew now what the R stood for and the name was on his lips before he could help himself, Ned was glad that for now, he stood alone on the deck of the ship.
"Rhaenys." he said softly.
Placing the note back in his pocket, he turned and walked to his cabin to make ready his things. Though a part of him longed for Dorne and wished to see his aunt and his home once more, he felt it would be some time until he did so. Whereas in Norvos that made him feel a little sad, here and now he felt only excitement and so he gathered his things and was ready to disembark from the ship long before it actually docked.
He'd not sailed with the Princess this time, not for any other reason than he wished to be more relaxed and despite being close with Arianne and Ser Daemon, he still felt an intruder at times. More so with her mother joining her and so his journey from Norvos had been an almost solitary one. His conversations with his men and those who sailed the ship with him had been stifled somewhat by the difference in status and he looked forward to it being him that was more uncomfortable once again. Looking to the other ship he saw Arianne and the others make their way down the gangplank. So after telling Artos, the Captain of his guards, to seek accommodations for his men and giving him the coin to pay for it, he did likewise.
"Lord Dayne." Jon Connington said as he moved to the older man, the princess, her mother, and Ser Daemon already in the Hathay and ready for the ride and to greet the King and Queen.
"Lord Connington, it's good to see you hale and hearty. Their graces are well?" he asked to a smile from the older man.
"They and the princesses are most well, my lord. Come, my men will see to accommodations for your own, their graces await Princess Arianne and yourself and the Red Temple."
"I thank you, my lord." he said and it was a horse that he was led to and not a Hathay and thankfully not a damn Palanquin.
As they rode together, Lord Jon told him about all that had occurred since last they'd seen each other. Ned looking on in stunned silence as he was told that Meereen and the Bay of Dragons along with Qarth and Mantarys had been brought under the King and Queen's control. Only Meereen, Qarth, and Mantarys needing to face any force whatsoever to be brought to their knees. When he heard about what they'd faced in Qarth it sent a shudder down his spine. He'd thought, no, he'd hoped and believed that he'd never need to face such things again and it made him worry about Norvos and even Volantis itself. Worries that he shared with Jon Connington as they saw the Red Temple come into view.
"I have no such fears, Lord Dayne." Jon Connington said confidently.
"Call me Ned, my lord, this formality can bear down on you after a time." he said with a chuckle.
"What the king did in Qarth, how he changed people from what they were or what they were about to become. I may not have seen the dead as you did, Ned, but I've no fear that they're no match for our king and queen, none whatsoever." Jon said and Ned nodded, he may not have put away all his worries and doubts for he felt only a fool had none, but they were far lessened by who he followed and who led them in this endeavor.
The Red Temple was enormous and put the Great Sept to shame, not that there was a Great Sept anymore. Ned had wondered about the closeness of the red priests to the King and Queen. He'd worried that it was their faith that they'd champion and more so when he heard the King being named as the Prince that was Promised and Azor Ahai reborn. Yet King Aegon followed the Old Gods and had sought not to push forward his beliefs on anyone and nor had Queen Daenerys. So he simply accepted the temple for the beauty it offered and not as an affront to the Seven that some may see it as.
The white wolf came running to greet them, Ned laughing when it licked his hand and then laughing some more when he saw the King himself walk through the large double doors. Aegon carried Princess Rhaella in his arms and as Ned turned to the sky it was to see the Red Dragon flying overhead. Its bond with its rider was evidently growing even more than it already had since they'd left Westeros. The queen and the Dragonguard soon came into view behind the king and there walking alongside the queen he saw Princess Rhaenys once again.
She looked different and yet the same, her dark hair and purple eyes standing out and yet it was her clothes and the smile she wore on her face as she talked to her goodsister and laughed at something the king said that Ned found himself concentrating on. Rhaenys was dressed as a dragon princess should be, her clothing was so much like the queen's, with a combination of dress and breeches that was black with a tinge of red. On her hips, she wore what looked to be two daggers, and rarely if ever had he seen a more beautiful sight.
"Princess Arianne, Ser Daemon, it's good to see you both." Queen Daenerys said warmly.
"You too, your grace. His grace and the princess as well. Cousin." Arianne said just as warmly when she kissed Rhaenys on the cheek and Ned was so lost in the sight that he didn't see or hear the king move to him.
"I'm most happy to see you, Ned, most happy. As it this little one." the King said his voice japing as Ned heard the gurgling and the giggling laugh that came from Princess Rhaella.
"I thank you, your grace, and I'm most pleased to see you well." he said as Rhaella giggled some more.
"Come, we should get you settled, and then we can speak on what brought you here." the King said and Ned nodded "Say bye-bye little dragon." he heard the king say as they walked and he was chuckling a moment later when a sound came from the princess and he saw her little hand wave to the Red Dragon in the sky.
He and the king spoke briefly on things as they walked, Aegon holding the princess carefully and pressed against his chest as she seemed to be drifting off to sleep. The king explaining that she was due her midday nap but would not do so without seeing her dragon first. Ned shook his head at the thoughts of that, the bond between dragons and riders, not something he understood. Though he doubted any but the three and soon to be four that lived, really did.
"I look forward to sparring with you, Ned. Facing the same opponents over and over does nothing to help me improve." the King said eagerly as they entered a large open room that was bigger even than the Throne Room in the Red Keep.
"I'd most enjoy crossing blades with you again, your grace." he said truthfully.
Less than a few moments later the king bid them goodbye, for now, the princess needed to be put in her crib and it was to be the king and not some servant who did so. Something that brought another smile to his face and one that was noticed by someone else. Princess Rhaenys looking at him and smirking when she caught his eye. There was something about the way she looked at him. A feeling that came over him when she did so that he knew not how to explain and when she walked his way he felt some nervousness that had not been there a moment earlier.
"Lord Dayne, I'm most pleased to see you again, most pleased." Princess Rhaenys said and he almost stuttered over his reply.
"As am I, you, my princess. And even more so that I've not bumped into you and knocked you to the ground." he said and she laughed truly, the sound ringing out in the large room and it was one that he most enjoyed hearing.
"Indeed. Who'd have thought that the Sword of the Morning was so clumsy on his feet." the princess japed and Ned found himself laughing just as much as she had.
By the time he was led to his rooms, the king had returned and he, Princess Arianne, her mother, and Ser Daemon were all invited to sup with him, the queen, and the princess that night. Ned looking forward to it immensely and where once it would have been to share tales with the king, now it was the thoughts of hearing a princess laugh again that he looked most forward to.
Volantis 307 AC.
Gilly.
She had feared the worst when the men had come to her, had been sure that they were throwing her out on the streets, and that she, Young Sam, and the babe that was to come any day now would find their ends there. There was nothing she could do to stop them and she cursed Sam for leaving them alone and at the mercy of strangers. Gilly didn't speak this strange language that most people here spoke, she didn't like the heat and the way they looked at her, but she had forborne it for Young Sam and the babe that was not yet here.
They'd treated her well, given her all she'd needed, and not having to leave the palace or deal with any other than those who served Belicho had given her a comfort of sorts. Or had made things more comfortable than having to deal with the people in a city she knew nothing of would be. Yet she didn't fight them, not that she could, but she didn't and simply accepted her fate. Only to find it was not the fate she believed it to be.
When Jon Snow had arrived in Volantis she knew not, only that he was here now. Him, the Dragonqueen, and his own babe if the words she'd heard as she was brought to the Red Temple were true. She smiled at that, he was a good man and he had found something in the Dragonqueen that he'd not known before then. Though she'd heard people speak of a woman of her people once or twice. That he had a babe of his own too, she knew how much joy that would bring him. Jon had always gotten on well with Young Sam when he was a babe and had seen that he was cared for.
Were it not for Sam then she'd be greatly relieved that she was being taken to Jon Snow. The things that he had said to her about his former friend may not have rung true, but they'd worried her all the same and more so now. She hoped he was wrong and that Jon had not lost his way or being corrupted by the Dragonqueen as he had said. Gilly quickly offering a prayer to the Old Gods that he'd not seek to harm her and her babes to pay Sam back for whatever wrong he felt he'd caused him. Or for whatever argument they had which had broken them apart.
"Ohhh, Ohhhh." she said almost falling to the ground as she reached the temple "Aaaarghhh, Help, Help, my Babe." she cried out, moving to grab a hold of Young Sam while her other hand went to the pain that she felt in her stomach.
When she woke up she was laying in a bed and she looked worriedly around the room. Seeing Ghost made her fearful once more as seeing the white wolf had always made her so. When she saw Tormund talking with Young Sam she felt her fears even more so.
"I… What happened, where am I?" she asked and relaxed somewhat when she saw Tormund make Young Sam laugh.
"Mama, my brother is here."
"My babe, where is my babe?" she asked worriedly, and then she saw the frowns on both Tormund's and Young Sam's faces.
"Your son is safe and well, Gilly. My wife has taken him to be cleaned and fed while you rested." Jon Snow's voice said and she turned to see him sitting on a chair in the darkness somewhat "You gave us all such a scare, but Lady Kinvara was most helpful and she ensured the babe was born and was healthy."
"My son, my son, is safe?" she asked worriedly.
"Aye, you or your children have naught to fear here, Gilly. You are amongst friends." Jon said and she looked at him curiously.
"And Sam?" she asked, her son turning his head and Gilly shaking her own at him to let him know it wasn't him she was speaking on.
"A story for another time…" Jon said as the door opened and the Dragonqueen walked in carrying a bundle in her arms.
The way she was cooing and laughing at the babe made her relax completely. She now knew they'd not be harmed here as no one could look at a babe that way and harm it or its mother. Seeing how Jon Snow looked to her, to Young Sam, and to the babe, she felt that he too would see them unharmed.
"He's a wild little thing, Gilly." the Dragonqueen said warmly "Here I'm sure you wish to hold him for yourself."
"I thank you, your grace." she said speaking words that she knew not the true meaning of but had heard others speak before.
Her son was a wild one indeed, his little legs and arms never stopped moving and his dark brown eyes were so much like her own that they brought a true smile to her face.
"He's been fed but mayhaps will be hungry again in a little while. I can see the wet nurse is brought to you if you wish?" the Dragonqueen asked and Gilly shook her head, more than keen to feed him herself.
"Come Sam, come meet your brother." she said as her older son moved to the bed.
All too soon she was left alone, or alone with Tormund as the Dragonqueen and Jon Snow bid her goodnight and Jon told her that he'd speak to her about Sam when she was feeling stronger. Food was brought to her and she ate it all as did Young Sam while the Dragonqueen was then proved right and the babe wished to be fed too. Gilly was more than happy when he latched onto her teat and drank greedily. It was a good sign that he had such a healthy appetite and he'd grow strong very quickly if he ate this way.
"He seems happier." she said to Tormund once she put the babe down.
"Aye, happiest I've ever seen him. They're good together him and her, both of them as mighty as the other and no man deserves to be happy more than Jon Snow." Tormund said as Young Sam yawned.
"They don't hate me?" she asked worriedly to a laugh from Tormund.
"Trust me, Gilly, if he hated you then you'd know all about it. I've seen those he hates and you and your children are not among them. He's saved you, you know. Just like he has our people. That place you were in would have been the death of you and that man you thought gave you aid, now he is a fucker that Jon Snow hates." Tormund said almost snarling.
"And Sam?" she asked biting her lip.
"Aye, him too." Tormund said as he rose to his feet "Come, little lad, it's time to put you to your bed so your mother can rest."
"Rest mama." Young Sam said tiredly as she kissed his cheek, her son almost out on his feet.
"You too my son. Sleep well and we'll eat together on the morrow, all three of us." she said though her words were barely heard.
Sleep came much easier than she had thought it would, her worries for Sam somewhat lessened by knowing that she and the children were safe. It wasn't selfishness or lack of concern for him, more than a mother's job was the safety of her children first and foremost and so knowing they were safe calmed her greatly. The next morning she ate in her room with Young Sam and the babe and later Tormund, the Dragonqueen and finally, Jon Snow came to speak to them all. When it was suggested that Young Sam needed to be having lessons, she agreed to them instantly. Sam had been too busy to teach him how to read and she'd tried her best, but had been a poor substitute for Shireen Baratheon.
It took three days for her to be told about Sam and that it was Jon Snow himself who came to tell her was both welcome and very much not. His own feelings were far too clear and Tormund's words rang true in her mind as she listened to him.
"Sam is dead, Gilly. Killed by Belicho Staegone as part of a ritual that you don't wish to know the details about. A ritual that we will have to deal with the consequences of soon enough." Jon said as Gilly began to sob.
"He loved me….I loved him." she said through her tears, her words coming out in hurried gasps as the sobs grew louder.
"I cannot deny what you felt for him, but knowing Sam as I do I doubt he loved anyone but himself." Jon said disdainfully.
"It's your fault, had you just let him be… Why? Why couldn't you just leave him be?" she cried out bitterly and full of recriminations.
"Because men like him don't deserve to be let be. He didn't deserve to be let breathe after what he tried to do and only did so because I allowed him to live another day. I know you cared for him and it hurts you that he's passed but I do not. I welcome it, and only that it was not by mine own hand and what it may lead to, I'd rejoice in it." Jon Snow said rising to his feet.
"He…"
"Was the worst man I've known in a life full of terrible men. A craven and a coward right to the end. Good men have died and he's breathed air for far longer than he deserved to. I mourn not for Samwell Tarly and neither should you, but you'll do as you will. You, Young Sam, and the babe have my protection, ask it of me and I'll see you brought back to Westeros and housed wherever you wish and that the lives you lead will be comfortable. But don't ask me to care about Samwell Tarly, for he's not worth one of your tears and he'll get none of mine own." Jon said before he then stormed from the room.
She knew not what had caused the divide between them, and knowing what Jon Snow was like and how he felt about those he cared about, she could only regret that it had come. Had it not then Sam would be alive today. So she mourned him for herself and for the friendship that he had lost that had in the end cost him his life.
Volantis 307 AC.
Aegon Targaryen.
He dodged out of the strike from the white blade, barely managing to do so, and then he retaliated with a strike of his own. Blackfyre crashed against Dawn and the sound of the Valyrian Steel hitting the Star Steel rang out in the early morning air. Both he and Ned Dayne wore almost the exact same smiles on their faces as they moved around the empty courtyard that they'd turned into a temporary sparring yard. Each of them taking the same enjoyment out of testing themselves against each other as the other did.
Ser Jorah was a fine swordsman, Jon Connington too and Grey Worm posed a different threat with his spear in hand. His spars with Tormund usually devolved into his closest friend taking the piss out of him more so than any true contest and while Ser Jaime may have improved greatly and Aegon really enjoyed their spars, he was not true competition. It was Ser Brienne who gave him his truest test and yet they'd sparred so often that it was like just going through training exercises. Ned Dayne though, he improved all the time and was as close to Aegon as anyone with a blade in hand.
"I yield, Aegon." Ned said with a laugh as Aegon moved inside his guard and tripped him knocking him to the ground.
"You cheated." he heard a voice call out and as he helped Ned back to his feet he turned to see Rhaenys sitting with Ghost and watching them both.
"Mine own sister." he sighed making her laugh as she brought them both some water to drink, Aegon noticing how her eyes and the eyes of Ned Dayne both lingered on each other.
It had been something that Dany had truly made him aware of. Aegon having seen it somewhat himself but not as truly as his wife did and once she'd pointed it out, then he'd noticed it more and more. He'd even played his part by asking Ned to guard his sister when she had wished to explore the city. The young Lord of Starfall was only too happy to do so. It had been a welcome distraction truth be told. Something that Aegon had needed after seeing in the flames what had happened with Sam and after losing his temper with Gilly when he'd gone to offer comfort. Dany chiding him greatly for that and thankfully smoothing it over with the mournful and scared young woman later on.
"I told you, he's a brooder." he heard Rhaenys say and Ned Dayne laughed at his sister's jape.
"You wound me so, sister mine." he said moving to her and then splashing her with some water from his mug.
"AEGON TARGARYEN." Rhaenys said grabbing the jug and chasing him around the courtyard.
"Don't you dare, I am a…." he spluttered and coughed as the jug of water was poured over his head, his sister laughing loudly as did Ned Dayne and when he went to wipe himself in his sister's coat she shrieked loudly.
He saw her disappointment when Ned bid them farewell so he could change for the breaking of their fast and a servant from the Red Temple hurried to him carrying a cloth for him to wipe himself with. Aegon taking his sister by the arm and nodding to Ser Jaime who followed them as they walked away from, rather than to the temple itself.
"Are you nervous about the Triarchs?" Rhaenys asked him and he shook his head.
"Lady Malora tells me that the Tiger Cloaks are ours as are most of the soldiers in the city. Dany will give them terms and the First Daughter will be back under Valyrian Rule by week's end." he said and Rhaenys nodded her agreement.
"I'm glad we don't need to fight." Rhaenys said as they walked.
"I thought you enjoyed the fight. That you felt like Visenya come again." he japed and she pushed him away from her before taking his arm a moment later.
"I was drunk." she said defensively.
"Very drunk. As drunk as Tormund was. I think the word you're looking for is deep in your cups, Rhae." he said to a giggle from her that he enjoyed hearing as much he always did.
It hadn't taken him long to love his sister nor for her to feel as close to him as Arya was and perhaps even more so since she was a sister of his blood and not just his heart. Family, he'd wanted it for so long that he'd built up what it would be like in his mind beyond anything he believed it could ever be. He was wrong, very wrong. The family he had now exceeded his wildest imaginings. A wife that he loved with all his heart, a babe that he would burn the world to the ground to see safe, and a sister that he had never dared to hope for.
"Egg?" Rhaenys said softly and he chuckled as he shook his head.
"That's a stupid name." he said only half meaning it, it was stupid but she said it with such affection that he cared not.
They came to the large tree, one he'd prayed to though it was not a Weirwood and never would be. Aegon turning to look at his sister and to speak to her of what he'd sworn to Dany he would not.
"He likes you, you know." he said to a gasp.
"Who?" she asked trying to be nonchalant and failing miserably.
"Ned Dayne. He likes you and you like him." he said and she shook her head "Rhae.."
"Aegon I…"
"Deserve happiness more than anyone I know. If you think he can make you happy then perhaps it's something you need to explore." he said and she looked at him without speaking before he saw her give a slight nod of her head.
"You… were it to be something… you would be happy with the union?" she asked nervously and he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"He's a man I would deem worthy of you, one of the few, and yet that matters not, Rhae. You, you are all I care about and so if it's what you wish then you would have my blessing. Though you need it not." he said and then he took her hand as they both knelt in front of the tree.
His sister didn't pray to the Old Gods but she shared this with him most of the time. He'd brought Dany here but only the once, his wife was too busy for such things and she wished for him to have something that he shared more with Rhaenys than her. Rhaella too he'd brought here and had found it hard to pray with his daughter in his arms. Her fingers were always trying to open his eyes and make her look at him, hard enough that it was for him to close them when she was nearby.
"What did you pray for?" Rhaenys asked when they rose and he shook his head and placed a finger on her lips.
"Now that would be telling wouldn't it" he said to an annoyed look as he took her arm and they made their way back to the Red Temple to break their fast.
Later that day he, Dany, and Rhaella took flight on the dragons. All three of them on Drogon and Aegon having to promise Rhaegal that it would be on his back that they flew back to the Red Temple, just to get the green dragon to agree. They flew outside the city and to the large hill that overlooked it from some distance away and as they landed there he could see the lights of the city reflected in the night's sky.
"Are you ready for the morrow, my love?" he asked Dany as she took Rhaella from his arms.
"I'm ready. Do you truly believe it will go as Lady Malora says?" Dany asked worriedly.
"It will or it will not. Lady Malora has not steered us wrong thus far." he said softly his hands going to Rhaella's face and her own smaller ones grabbing one of his fingers, Dany's hands soon joining him "The Empress of Tomorrow." he said softly as Rhaella laughed and above them, the Red Dragon let loose his flames into the night's sky.
The Stormlands 307 AC.
Sansa.
Seeing the North disappear into the distance had made her feel a little sad for the first time that she could ever remember it doing so. When she was a girl and unmarked or undamaged by the cruel world she lived in, she'd welcomed leaving the North behind. Not even sparing it a second glance as they had passed through the Neck and entered the South for the first time. Her eyes had been looking forward, only forward. The Riverlands, Crownlands, and finally King's Landing had all felt so much more of what she wished for her life than the North had ever been.
Upon her return to the North and before she knew the extent of Littlfinger's plan, she had shed a tear. Yet years later when she'd left the North and headed to the Vale in a vain effort to gain her crown, she'd not looked back once again. This time she did and she felt something that mayhaps her father had when he left the North all those years ago, or that mayhap Robb or Arya had. It was a strange realization to come to, but she was of the North, she knew that now.
During the journey to the Stormlands, she'd spent as much time on deck as she had below it. The cold winds growing warmer letting her know that she was in the South and once again they were not as welcome to her as they had once been. There was a loud voice within her that shouted that this was folly and she was being foolish. One that told her that just like the last times she'd headed South, this too would only end badly for her. Sansa shouted that voice down, for this was the only move she had left. It was the only move that she could make in the Great Game and it was worth the risk. Mara she knew would have delivered the letter and her words would have landed on Varys's desk by now, she prayed they would be believed.
She knew that she could have simply accepted her fate, lived out a life of mediocrity where she would grow old and fat and die forgotten. Sansa felt she deserved far more than that, she felt she deserved what had been stolen from her and while she'd not played the game right the first time, this time she would. It would be enough to get her Winterfell, wouldn't it? Enough to prove her Leal and True? The warning she'd sent, the offer of her aid, all of it would make Jon think differently about her and in the end, she was the only Stark he had to call upon, wasn't she.
"My lady, a storm's coming in." Ser Andrew said as she stood looking out on the dark seas around the Stepstones.
"Of course, Ser." she said softly and ladylike as she smiled at him and followed him down below deck.
While she'd spent much time on deck, she'd not been remiss in giving the knights and guards her attention. Sansa had done her very best to charm them and it had worked pretty much. At night she'd sing which they most enjoyed and she'd laughed and japed with them as well. She'd enquired about their lord and acted very much like a girl who was keen to meet him. A prospective bride on her way to meet a suitor. Thoughts of which had made her nights' ones that were filled with dreams that she liked not. The things she may have to do shamed her, but she knew that she would do them all the same. Laying with a man to get her birthright back was no great price to pay, disgusted though she was by the thoughts of it.
On the night they reached Shipbreaker Bay and anchored up rather than risk sailing on to Storm's End, her dreams woke her and made her retch. She'd been forced down on the bed and felt his hands all over her, his weight, the smell of drink on his breath, and the large beard all making her cry out, no, again and again. It was Robert Baratheon's face that she'd seen and the thoughts that his son was anything like him were terrifying. So when they finally sailed to the docks and she was escorted to the keep, she was far more nervous than she had hoped to be.
"Relax, my lady. No one can harm you here." Ser Andrew said and Sansa didn't find any comfort in his words, as she'd thought that about far too many places in her life.
They weren't greeted and instead were brought into the Great Hall where men and women ate and drank merrily and there at the High Table sat the man who'd sent for her. The smile that came to her face when she saw him was a true one, though it was mainly based on relief and not joy at seeing Edric Baratheon. He was comely, apart from his ears, his beard was neatly trimmed, and there was not an ounce of fat on his muscular body. To Sansa, he looked a lot like Gendry but even more so Renly and so the next smile she gave him was more because of that than anything else.
"My lord." she said giving him a perfect curtsy and he smiled back and yet looked at her somewhat disappointedly.
"Lady Sansa, I'm most pleased to see you safe and well." Edric said rising to his feet and moving to her, the kiss he gave to her hand was a polite and not a lustful one.
"You must forgive my appearance, my lord. Travel has not been kind and I've unfortunately not had much change in the way of attire." she said her smile reaching her eyes when his own did.
"There is nothing to forgive, my lady. I doubt there is a lady in the realm who could wear the burdens of travel as well as you have. Though perhaps you'd much enjoy a warm bath and a change of clothing. I've seen that some items have been provided for you in your room, but I'd beg your forgiveness for my taste and my lack of care in sizing them." he said and she knew that she had better do so given the look in his eyes.
"I thank you most truly, my lord. A much-appreciated gesture and one that was most unexpected." she said, her smile and the look in her eyes catching his attention far more than how she looked, which she was glad of.
"Jeyne and Sara can see you to your room, my lady. I would hope you're not tired enough for the evening ahead and may grace us with your presence?"
"I would be most pleased to do so, my lord, most pleased." she said and he kissed her hand once more.
It was a number of hours later that she made her way to the Great Hall. The dress she now wore was in his house's colors. Sansa picking it because it covered up that which she wished to while it still fitted her far better than any of the others. The bath and the brushing of her hair along with the scents and perfumes she now had access to had made her feel like a completely different woman by the time she'd been ready to leave. Her reflection as she looked at it in the looking glass had been one that she'd not seen for she knew not how long.
She looked a girl again, a woman trueborn and noble rather than what she'd been for these last few moons. It would be much needed if she was to succeed in her plans and as she entered the Great Hall she was overjoyed to see the effect her entrance had on those already there. None more so than Edric Baratheon who looked at her as if he wished to eat her up where she stood. The kiss he placed on her hand when he helped her to her seat and the way he looked at her once she sat, all showing that she'd still retained that which she had feared lost.
"My lady, you look like the very maiden herself." Edric said and she smiled coquettishly at him, fluttering her eyelids just a little and breathing heavily so that his eyes were drawn to the swell of her chest.
"My lord, you flatter me so." she giggled and saw his smile grow ever larger.
They ate and spoke to each other on minor and major things. Both Edrich and she herself sharing sympathies over each other's losses and Sansa hinting at her issues with Jon and the Dragonwhore while Edric spoke far more plainly over his own. When it came time to dance, she danced with him and him alone, something he much appreciated. His hardness pressing up against her however was something she very much did not. Other than as evidence that her plan had a much better chance to succeed if he desired her for her body as well as for her name.
"I thank you for the most pleasant night I've had in an age, my lord. Your hospitality and welcome have been boons to my spirit." she said as he escorted her to her room, her heart fluttering as she feared he may move even quicker than Sweetrobin had wished to do.
"As has your presence here been to mine own, Lady Sansa." Edric said charmingly.
"Sansa, my lord." she said fluttering her eyelids once more.
"Then you must call me, Edric, Sansa." he said.
"Edric." she said as seductively as she could.
"Goodnight Sansa, I wish for you the sweetest of dreams." Edric said as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, his lips staying pressed to it for a little longer than they needed to be.
"And I, you, Edric." she said softly, her voice almost a whisper.
She was relieved when she entered the room alone and once she did so she then moved quickly to the table to write the small note that she would give to the little bird she'd seen looking her way. It was a note that she didn't have to hold onto for long. As no more than a few moments after she'd written it, a knock came to the door, and there stood said little bird. Handing him the note she nodded to him and then he was gone so quickly that she was almost sure he'd not been there. Sansa quickly closing the door behind her and undressing before she climbed into bed.
"Perhaps this game won't be as terrible as I feared." she said softly to herself as she closed her eyes and dreamt of blue ones and a firmly muscled body.
Volantis 307 AC.
Missandei.
She watched the rise and fall of his chest, Grey Worm sleeping as peacefully as she'd ever known him to sleep. Missandei herself should probably be sleeping too, as she was tired and he'd brought her more than enough pleasure to make her relax completely. The many things they did together never failing to leave her satisfied and the one thing that they did not, as always never feeling as something she missed out on. Sleep though was hard to come by, especially knowing what was to come on the morrow. Her queen was to speak to the Triarchs of Volantis and to bring them to her side.
It made her nervous and she knew that she should not be. Even were it to come to a fight they'd win, she knew that and with the dragons on their side and the arrival of the Dornish Army, the Triarchs knew it even more so than her. Still, each time her queen went into battle, be it an actual one or one of words, Missandei felt her nerves and worries rise. It had been why Grey Worm had been given the night off and why so had she. Her queen wishing for her to enjoy herself and to spend time with her love, while she herself would do much the same. Perhaps the true reason for her nerves was that she'd not be by her queen's side. That in each of the battles they'd faced she'd somewhat been left behind with the Princess. Not that she didn't wish to be by the Princess's side or felt her duties diminished or lessened by being so. More that it always meant that she couldn't see what was occurring. She'd not be able to see the faces of the men her queen faced and judge for herself whether they were friend or foe.
"Sleep, Missandei of Naath." Grey Worm said and she looked to his face to see his eyes wide open.
"I woke you?" She asked annoyed with herself and he shook his head.
"I woke. Come." he said holding out his arm and she moved her head to his chest and felt his arms wrap around her, the comfort and safety that he provided was something she much appreciated.
He said no more words, instead, his fingers brushed through her hair so softly and so gently that her eyes began to close despite her worries. It was to the sound of his heart beating, his breath softly blowing against her neck, and to the feel of his fingers brushing through her hair that she finally fell to sleep. Her dreams were the happy ones that she enjoyed most of all. Dreams of a princess grown and playing with her sister and brother on dragons in the sky while their mother and father looked on. Of Grey Worm unarmed as he stood by her side and of knowing there was no need for his spear or shield. It was dreams of peace, contentment, and happiness that she dreamt of and her worries faded away until the morning came.
Once it did though, she quickly rose from her bed and readied for the day ahead. Which meant hurrying to her queen's side to ready her for all she must do. Yet it was the breaking of her fast and her queen dressing in much more comfortable clothes and with her hair down that she spent the early morning. A breaking of the fast that involved the king feeding the princess and Ghost at the same time and had Princess Rhaenys laugh at the antics of all three. There was no talk of what was to come, not one mention of the Triarchs, Volantis, or Belicho Staegone, and it allowed for her to not give in to her worries for most of the early morning and not to think about them even until noon.
"You are ready, my queen." Missandei said as she stood back from the chair to allow her queen to look a the image she now projected.
Dany's hair was done up elaborately, the braids were some of the most intricate that Missandei knew how to make. Her outfit was a black split skirt over black leather breeches. The coat she wore was black too but tinged with red at the collar and the sleeves and she wore a brooch that was silver and decorated in rubies, the Three-Headed Dragon design standing proud. It had been a gift from the king and was much treasured by the queen, as was the silver crown she wore on her head and the small thin sword that she bore on her hip. She looked like a true warrior queen and as she rose it took Missandei's breath away and the gasps she made had Dany look to her.
"Missy?" Dany asked worriedly.
"I'm well, Dany. I just…"
"There will be no fight today, Missy." Dany said taking her hand in hers and Missandei nodded.
She followed after the queen to where the King and Princess Rhaenys were waiting. The Princess was wearing the same clothing that the queen was, almost. Her hair was hanging loose in a ponytail while beside her the king too wore a similar style outfit, his leather britches and long leather coat tinged in the same black and red as the queen's was. Both Aegon and Rhaenys wore crowns too and he bore Blackfyre and Lightbringer as well. One sword on his hip and the other on his back and though Dany had assured her that there would be no fight today, it pleased her that the king wasn't taking any chances.
The Dragonguard were fully armored, Ned Dayne bore Dawn and as Ser Brienne moved to stand beside her, Missandei watched as the King and Queen moved to Princess Rhaella who sat on the floor laughing and playing with Ghost. Then as soon as they said their goodbyes to their daughter, they turned and walked from the room, Dany looking at her and offering her the warmest smile she could while Missandei returned it with one of her own.
"Please bring them all back safely." she said softly as she moved and took a seat by the Princess, Ser Brienne standing behind her and she knew outside the door and window more than five hundred guards and a Red Dragon stood too.
Volantis 307 AC.
Dany.
They had made love for most of the night, she and Aegon exhausting themselves before finally giving in to sleep. The words he spoke to her inflaming he lust for him even more than it already was. Thoughts of a little brother or sister for Rhaella still filled her head as they broke their fast and she watched her husband play the fool with their daughter and the white wolf. After their morning was done she had dressed and then she'd offered Missandei what reassurances she could. The Lady Malora had told them and Lady Kinvara had confirmed that there would be no fight here today. That it would be words and not actions that would bring the Volanteene Triarchs to their knees.
She knew too that they had the men to do so if needed. Princess Arianne's return only adding to their own forces, not that they were needed. Qhono and the Khalasar waited for the word to be given and Grey Worm and the Unsullied lined the streets just in case. The Tiger Cloaks were there's though, the captains and their seconds coming to speak to them in the Red Temple and pledging themselves to their cause and so Volantis would fall and join the Empire that they were forging. Climbing up onto Drogon's back, she turned to look at Aegon and Rhaenys and felt they looked like the Conqueror and his Sister-Wives reborn. Her husband looked back to her and once Ser Jaime, Ser Jorah, and Ned Dayne who would shield Rhaenys's back had taken their places, the dragons then took to the skies.
With a last look to the Red Temple to see the Red Dragon in position should Rhaella need him to be and knowing their daughter was safe, it was to the Black Walls that she turned her eyes to and soon enough they were flying over them. The meeting itself wouldn't be inside those walls, instead, it was to be on the Long Bridge and after flying over the grand palaces and manses that the Old Blood named their own, it was to there that they flew. Dany finding herself stunned to see the sight beneath her when they reached it.
The city was full of people on both ends of the bridge while the hathays and palanquins had stopped at one end of it. On the bridge itself, the Fiery Hand was lined up in two lines with the Unsullied at one end keeping the people back and ready to move to the bridge if needed while at the other it was the Tiger Cloaks who did the same. She flew low over the bridge so they could see Drogon more clearly, Aegon and Rhaenys doing the same on Rhaegal and Balerion, and then she landed first, at the end with the Unsullied. Ser Jorah climbed down off Drogon's back before she did and then at his nod she joined him. Rhaegal and then Balerion did the same a few moments later with Ser Jaime and Ned Dayne both doing as Ser Jorah had. Then before she knew it, Dany felt Aegon's hand in hers and saw his smiling face as he led her and Rhaenys onto the bridge.
"Are you ready?" Aegon asked softly and she nodded at him as she looked determinedly to the men who sat some distance away.
It took them little to no time at all to approach the table that had been set up. Kinvara stood on one side of it while sitting on the other were three men. All three of them were old and wizened and all looked more to her than to Aegon or Rhaenys. It surprised her a little until she realized that these men had no doubt heard more of her than they had of her husband or goodsister. Her time in Essos and what she'd done while there had no doubt been spoken much on amongst the men and women of the Old Blood. She wondered if she'd stayed would they have sought her out, either in some vain hope to recreate the Freehold or because they felt her a threat to Volantis and its way of life. They were about to find out that for the latter they'd have been right to be concerned and all three of them rose when she, Aegon, and Rhaenys reached the table.
"You stand in the presence of their graces, The Emperor and Empress of Essos and King and queen of Westeros and the Princess of the Sun. I present to you Her Grace, Daenerys Targaryen. Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Mother of Dragons, The Unburnt, Breaker of Chains, Queen of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, Lady of Dragonstone, and His Grace. Aegon Targaryen. The White Wolf, The Winter Dragon, The Resurrected King, The Prince that was Promised, The Bringer of Light, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, Lord of Dragonstone.
And Her grace, The Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. The Undying, The Princess of Shadows, Rider of the Great Dragon Balerion and Princess of the Sun." Kinvara said and Dany saw how the men looked to all three of them and then to each other.
"I am Doniphos Paenymion representing the Elephants and with me and representing the Tigers, Parquello Vaeleros he said pointing to a grey-haired fat man who looked at her and Aegon in particular hatefully and representing the Elephants, Alios Qhaedar. The other man was a little younger than both Doniphos and Parquello and seemed on the surface at least to be more friendly than either.
"You know why we're here, Triarch." "Aegon said and Doniphos nodded.
"The army you sent to Westeros along with Malaquo Maegyr has been defeated and destroyed, easily I may add. Your former companion found to his cost what happens when the lands under our protection are threatened." Dany said as one of the red priestesses with Kinvara poured them all some wine, wine brought from the red temple as they did not trust these men, not yet.
"I had suspected so, My Empress." Doniphos said trying to sound unemotional and yet Dany was sure his tone was both friendly and somewhat eager.
"Belicho Staegone launched an attack on Meereen and on Qarth, he sought to take the Bay of Dragons for his own, and together with my husband and my goodsister, we've now put this to rights. Qarth, the Bay of Dragons, Mantarys, and Braavos have all sworn to us and become part of the Empire we intend to build, it's time for Volantis to do the same." she said and she felt Aegon's hand on her thigh and tried not to let it distract her too much.
"Volantis is a free city, Empress Daenerys, and we've heard of the changes you've imposed on those who've accepted your rule." Parquello said arrogantly and Dany glared at him, the fire in her eyes forcing him to turn away.
"Changes that Volantis too will accept should it seek a peaceful outcome here today." she said firmly.
"Change on such a scale is not something easily handled, Empress Daenerys. Will we be given time to make the changes you would impose upon us?" Alios asked and Dany looked at the man curiously.
"We understand and sympathize somewhat with the upheaval that this may cause, Triarch Alios, we are not unsympathetic to what this will mean for Volantis. However, our sympathies lie far more with those enslaved than those who hold the chains and tie the bonds that bind them. One year. We give you one year to turn from a city where slavery is accepted to one where it is not." Dany said and she felt Aegon squeeze her thigh reassuringly.
"A year may not be enough time, My Empress." Doniphos said and Dany smirked when all three men blanched as the dragons roared and flew over their heads.
"The dragons disagree Triarch. A year is all you'll be given. From this point on, however, certain changes are to take place immediately. No man, woman, girl, or boy is to be forced to lie with someone not of her choosing. No slave is to be whipped, beaten, or put to death for breaking rules that no longer exist. There are to be no fights to the death or men or women forced to fight for entertainment. Food and shelter are not to be used as a way to cow people either, all men, women, and children of the Empire are equal, Triarchs. Each of them is entitled to the same basic rights that you would seek for yourselves." she said her words bringing a smile to both Rhaenys and Kinvara's faces while Aegon kept his own expression much more reserved.
"You ask too much." Parquello said angrily before rising to his feet "We are not slaves to a wh…"
Aegon moved so fast that it took her a moment to see what it was he had done. Blackfyre was out and held no more than an inch from Parquello's eye and while Aegon's expression had been reserved a moment ago, now it was anything but. It stunned her that the sword was held so still given the angered look on her husband's face. Dany not needing to look to his purple eyes to see they were ablaze and it warmed her heart so much that it was an insult to her, that he'd not even let be spoken, that had inflamed his passions so.
"Finish your word's Triarch, finish them and see how long you breathe after them. My wife has given you the conditions for Volantis's surrender and make no mistake a surrender is what it is. I now add one of mine own. You, Triarch are no longer in a position of power in our city and will never hold one in our empire. Your place is to be taken by a man of R'hllor's choosing. So speak your mind, Triarch, and tell my wife she asks too much again?" Aegon said, his words angry and yet his voice was even while his eyes never left the man he held the sword to.
There was silence for a moment, no words spoken, and then with the merest of nods, Parquello made clear that he had succumbed to their will.
"I thought not. You may leave us Parquello, but be in no doubt that you too are a subject of the Empire from this moment forward and while that brings you our protection it brings you under our laws too. Break them and there will be consequences and there will be nowhere for you to run and hide from the justice that I'll see is done." Aegon said and a moment later she looked on as Parquello staggered away and down the bridge and then Aegon sheathed Blackfyre and took his seat.
Taking a drink of her wine she waited a few moments before she spoke once more.
"My husband as you both see is most protective of my person and my reputation. He is the Empire's Justice, Triarchs, and his will to see it done is as you've just seen, unyielding. But he is the Empire's Protector as well and his will to see you thrive and free to embrace the new world that we seek to create is as strong as mine own or my goodsister's. A wise man would look to be on that side of us all, rather than on the side Parquello sought to be." she said as she looked at the two men.
"On behalf of myself and the Elephants, you have my vow that your will shall be done, My Empress." Doniphos said and Dany could see no lie in his words, the squeeze on her thigh that Aegon gave her was enough to show her that neither did he.
"And mine own, My Empress." Alios added quickly lest he be seen to be too slow to swear to them.
They spoke then on the makeup of the council that they'd leave in charge of the city and the changes and how Lady Kinvara and the Red Priests would see that they were done. Then as quickly as they had come to this meeting they were heading away from it. Aegon taking her hand and walking with her to where Drogon had landed. The kiss he gave her and the words that he whispered in her ear promised her a night to come that she looked most forward to.
"My Empress of Today." he whispered in her ear "How shall I serve you tonight, my love." his words sent a shiver down her spine as he helped her to mount one dragon while her mind was filled with the thoughts of another.
Norvos 307 AC.
Belicho.
He arrived with no fanfare even though the city was his and he'd conquered it as truly as if he'd led an army to take its walls and gates. No more than fifty men rode with him and yet not once since they'd left the ship had he felt in any danger at all. His journey had been spent more in trying to see the dragons and where they were than in concentrating on what was to come. The stones he carried with him allowing him glimpses and nothing more and the glimpses themselves made little sense.
A third Dragon?
A third Dragonrider?
Who?
How?
What did this mean?
It irked him that he didn't know and the words he heard occasionally in his head made him more and more annoyed. What did Three Heads mean? Was it a Targaryen thing? He knew their sigil had a Three-Headed Dragon on it, but what did it mean? Was that not just a representation of Aegon and his sister-wives? Had Jon Snow found another woman to share his bed? And if so did it make any difference to him and his destiny?
Was it not for the crowds cheering his name as he rode through the city, then he'd have pondered these thoughts all the way to the Temple of the Bearded Priests. If he was not so close to finally becoming what he was meant to be, then he'd perhaps have worried even more about the third dragon that he saw. As it was, he did not, and soon his thoughts were filled with what he must do in this city and what would happen once he did.
The stones had been infused with the blood from Samwell Tarly, the man achieving more in death than he had ever done in life. He'd seen the Blood Moon and though it was but fleeting, it would not be so once this day was done. When he reached the temple it was to see that almost the entire order of Bearded Priests were there on the steps waiting to greet him. Amongst them holding whips in their hands were members of the Church of Starry Wisdom and Belicho smiled to see so many of them and how they looked at him. Worship was good for the ego after all.
"High Priest." one of the Bearded Priests said reverently and Belicho didn't bother to listen to him when he spoke his name, instead just looking to see Wynesha Hartin move his way, the High Priestess of the Church of Starry Wisdom looking at him eagerly and the nod he gave her almost made her swoon.
"All is prepared, High Priest." she said and without any more words she then led the way and he followed, the Bearded Priests hurriedly following behind.
The Temple was even more impressive inside than out, the Bearded Priests had always liked their luxury and it put even his own palace to shame. Yet it was not the trappings of luxury that he cared for and soon they were past them and heading down stairs deep into the bowels of the temple and to the Black Altar itself. Seeing it for the first time took his breath away. The Dragonglass shining in the light from the torches that covered the room and casting shadows that were both wonderful and terrifying on the walls that surrounded it.
He moved to it and took out each of the stones before laying them down and pushing them together. The shape that he formed with them was one that he had no intent to make and yet his hands felt as if they were guided to push the stones this way. It resembled a star of sorts or how a star looked when it glistened in the sky. When he was then handed the knife he looked on as each of the Bearded Priests stripped off their shirts and took the whips from the men and women of the Church of Starry Wisdom.
"For far too long the world has known light, it's time to bring it back to the darkness it was always meant to be bathed in." Belicho said as he cut his hand and the Bearded Priests began to whip their backs until they were covered in blood.
He felt it then, the power, the malice that resonated from the now blood-covered stones, and so placing the last one on top of them, he nodded to those who truly followed his will. As one they moved, the knives cutting throats in unison as the Bearded Priests gave up their very lifeblood and as the final one breathed his last, Belicho felt the cold wash over him. His hands were covered in ice, his arms and then the rest of him too and as he reached out and took the stones, he felt the ice crack but the cold seemed to envelop him even more.
Around the room, each of the men and women of the Church of Starry Wisdom changed as he did. Their bodies turning to an ice that did not break or melt, their eyes turning blue and their hair white. He looked on as they each became armored in ice, as they held swords of ice in their hands and as he tied the stones around his neck he smiled when he looked at the spiral they now made. They'd broken somehow and spread out in a swirling pattern and once they were against his chest he felt the crown begin to form on his head.
With a smirk on his face, he moved forward and walked up the stairs. His generals for what they were truly now following behind him. When he reached the main entrance of the temple he placed his hand on the door and watched as it iced up, before it then shattered and he walked out into the light. Or what had once been the light. Instead, it was a darkness that he found himself looking out upon, the Blood Moon was back in the sky and it cast its red hue down upon the thousands of soldiers he faced. Their blue eyes looked to him and he turned to who had once been Wynesha to find her on her knees with an icy blue blade held out in front of her in an offering of sorts.
"My Emperor." she said, her voice sounding like footsteps across the sand as he took the sword and the Bloodstone Emperor now held his blade aloft.