Ashes of Winter: The Stark Revival and the Game of Thrones

Somewhere in Westeros 303 AC.

Rickon Stark.

He felt the door close on him as soon as the hawk heard the roar from the green dragon. He saw it burn and disappear in front of him and he felt terribly sorry as he realized what it meant for the bird. He had been so close, so close to reaching his brother that he hadn't seen the other dragon coming towards them until it was too late. He wished he could have saved the hawk, but in the end, it was the hawk who had saved him by chasing him away from his body.

He was floating away, seeing doors appear near him and feeling that he should go back home. He needed to go back to Winterfell and to find someone who knew the place. He was surprised to see a few doors remain and traveled to one of the brightest ones. It felt as if a kinship emanated from this door, yet there was a wariness he never experienced before coming from it when he asked for permission to access the beast's mind.

He smiled as he found himself surrounded by wolves. Maybe this was the reason their minds had felt so appealing to them.

"You're not my sister." a harsh feminine voice said . "Yet I feel I know you."

You were waiting for your sister?

"We were supposed to be bonded, but the men she was with had decided otherwise. She left me and I'm waiting for the day she'll come back and we can be together as we were meant to be."

Flashes of hurt and images of her sister throwing rocks at her invaded Rickon's mind and he gasped, realizing where he was and with whom.

Nymeria. You're Nymeria.

"That is how my sister named me. How do you…"

Because I'm her brother. Rickon.

"My poor brother's companion… I felt him die, as well as the rest of my litter. First, the Soft Sister, then the Swift Brother, and the Clever Brother. Finally, our Wild Brother's light faded too…" she said and he could feel their sadness echo similarly.

Ghost is still alive. You still have a brother.

"I know. I can feel him. As I could feel my sister for some time. I saw her, you know? But it wasn't her. It was her face, but her heart was cold and closed. She wanted me to come with her, but her heart wasn't there."

She is back now. I swear she is. Her heart is in the right place and she needs you right now.

"She does?"

Rickon shared with her all he knew and felt coming from Arya, as well as what was coming for them. He could feel Nymeria's worry as well as her annoyance, and when he finished his story, he felt a tug in his mind.

"You reckless little brat! Have you realized what your absence did to your new pack?"

New pack?

"Those who chose you as their leader. They are your pack now, you've created it just as I did mine. You feel an obligation, a kinship to them, and you left them to worry about you while running after another member?"

Jon is more than that! He's my brother! Well, I thought he was… No, he is…

"Your bond is strong, little brother. Stronger than the one you have with Arya. A wolf always comes back to his pack."

But the lone wolf dies…

"My sister left me so that I would not die. I mourned her and still waited for her to come back to me. I feared becoming a lone wolf and then they found me and welcomed me into their pack. The hole is still there, but you're a wolf, like me, and your pack has chosen you. You'll get through everything with their support."

I feared he was in danger because of the Dragon Queen. I think… I think she's bonded to him too.

"Then your pack is about to expand, which is a good thing when you think about the dead things that are coming."

I don't think it is…

"You fear him leaving you?" she asked and Rickon nodded. "You'll never be alone, little brother. If anything, your pack will grow stronger with every new mate you allow your family to introduce."

Would you… Will you come back with me with your pack? To see our sister and protect mine? he asked out of the blue.

Nymeria seemed to hesitate. The idea of Arya being in danger upset her greatly, but she also had a new family to protect now, and she didn't want to bring the young ones into danger.

We will protect the young ones, and they will help us protect those who cannot fight. I swear to you.

" Then I agree," she said, feeling his sincerity and determination.

They ran at an incredible pace throughout the Riverlands and crossed the Neck without even taking a break. Rickon almost thought about going for Unicorn, but Nymeria told him to forget about it, as she wouldn't be able to ensure the safety of a horse in the pack.

It was the same and yet different to be in Nymeria's head compared to being in Ghost's. Contrary to her brother who was almost close to being a lone wolf, her mind was linked and attuned to each and every member of her pack. She could sense when one of them needed to rest or to hunt and would react accordingly. She was a leader in all but name, being the largest, the strongest, and unbothered by the males who wanted her as their mate. It reminded Rickon of Arya since they both were in control of who they were letting into their close circle and could definitely turn away any unwilling suitor. A poor Free Folk man had already learned it the hard way, despite Rickon and Tormund's warnings that there would be no way for him to steal Arya.

Suddenly, he felt a tug in his mind. It was a warm, familiar one, and he gasped as he heard the ghost of a voice calling his name.

" I know. I felt it too. Go to them."

Will you find the way without me?

" I've always known the way, little brother," she said comfortingly. "Tell our sister I'll be here soon."

King's Landing 303 AC.

Dany.

Saying goodbye had been hard, but knowing that Jon felt as she did and that he wished to be with her as much as she did him, had made it a little easier. Even though she was frustrated with him over the fact they'd not lain together, she did think him right in his reasoning for why not. Dany was as certain as he was that were they to do so, then parting would have been much more difficult and much more painful. That it made her even keener to do what she needed to do in the South and to be free to travel to the North, was perhaps beneficial too. Given what was coming for them, she already needed to hurry. Knowing what awaited her there for her was simply an extra incentive, she thought wickedly.

She'd expected Melisandre to be nervous about flying on the dragon or that she may seek to sail to King's Landing when she asked her to join her. She was anything but. If anything, it was Missandei who was most nervous about flying on Drogon's back and were it not for the need Dany had for her closest friend and truest adviser, something she now shared with Jon Snow perhaps, to be by her side, then Dany would have allowed her to take a ship instead. With all that she needed to do and the urgency she needed to do it, that wasn't truly an option though. So Missandei, reluctant though she was, joined Melisadnre and Jorah and they were soon flying away from the island.

It was as they were in the air that the thoughts of Jon doing the same really came to her. Dany wondered where he and Rhaegal were now and what it truly meant that she'd found a man who, like her, could soar through the skies. There had to be Valyrian blood in Jon's line and the Starks, to the best of her knowledge, bore none. Whoever his mother was she had to be important, didn't she? A long-lost relative mayhap? A bastard aunt or half-sister even, the latter possible given what sort of a man her father truly was.

Seeing King's Landing come into view, she decided to forgo the look around the city she wished for, at least until she was alone on Drogon's back. She'd not really seen much of it when they took the city of even when she and Jon had left it to go to Dragonstone and the little glimpses she got of it from the air made her wish to see more of it from this vantage point. They flew over the Red Keep and then headed for the Dragonpit. Drogon and Viserion landed a few feet from each other and Dany giggled at how quickly Missandei climbed down off the black dragon's back. She was in the process of thanking her sons when Grey Worm and her guards arrived, Dany then telling Drogon and Viserion to go feed and rest as Jorah and Grey Worm got reacquainted.

"My queen." Grey Worm said when she moved to him as the dragons took to the sky.

"Torgho Nudho, all is well?"

"All is well, my queen."

Mounting her silver was a far different pleasure than mounting Drogon and as they rode from the Dragonpit she began to laugh. Missandei looked to her to see what it was she found so amusing and Dany took a few moments before she could speak the words, such was her good humor.

"After his first ride on Rhaegal, Jon said that horses had been ruined for him." Dany said, smiling still.

"I find myself much-preferring horses, Your Grace." Missandei said and Dany reached out her hand and touched Missandei's.

"Then I'll ensure it's to be horses from now on, Missy." she said softly to a warm smile from her friend.

"We'll see my prince soon?" Melisandre asked and Dany turned to look at her, the expression on her face a determined one as she spoke her answer.

"Very soon."

The Red Keep had undergone some big changes since she'd last been here. Above it, the Three-Headed Dragon flew high and as she walked through it she could see signs of her family's heritage everywhere. Banners bearing her family's sigil covered the walls and as she walked down a long hall she was pleased to see paintings on the wall that represented some of her ancestors. Were it not that she had much to do, then she'd have spent much more time just looking at them. Instead, she took note of some of the faces and tried to put names on them. More than happy to see that some of the women of her family were represented too.

Guards stood at the ready at the Queen's Chambers and when she entered the room it was to see that here too there had been big changes made. Be it Olenna, Tyrion, or someone else, they'd removed the bed and all the furniture and replaced them with newer ones that were less stained by bad memories. Her sigil was well represented and she moved to a tapestry on the wall that showed a view of the Conquest and the Conqueror himself, Dany tracing her hand over the faces of Aegon and his sister-wives before moving to the desk.

"Would you like a bath before you begin, your grace?" Missandei asked and Dany shook her head.

"No, we have much to do and I'll take my bath before retiring later. Torgho Nudho, see that the Small Council is convened and inform me once it has."

"My queen." Grey Worm said as he bowed his head slightly and then moved from the room.

"Lady Melisandre, perhaps you can stand in Jon's stead and offer what advice you believe your prince would, were he here?"

"I am yours to command, your grace."

"Good, we have much work to do and much preparation to make before we are ready to head North." she said, somehow not saying, before we see Jon again which was what she was truly thinking.

Some food and wine were brought to her at Missandei's order and though she didn't drink, she did eat while she, Melisandre, and Missandei discussed her thoughts on what to do about her allies and what to say about Jon. Dany was surprised when Melisandre said not to speak about Jon and Rhaegal to her councilors for now. When she brought up that knowing such would help narrow down who Jon's mother was, the Red Priestess just shook her head and looked at her cryptically.

"It will send people in the wrong direction, your grace. People already know of the fondness the Green Dragon has for my prince, let that be enough for now. Were they to find out that like you, he is a Dragonrider, it would only bring up questions that need not be answered as of yet."

"Very well. For now, we speak nothing of Jon and Rhaegal, other than what people already know."

Later as they walked to the Small Council chambers she found herself questioning why it truly was that Melisandre didn't wish her to name Jon as Rhaegal's rider and found she couldn't come up with a better reason than the woman had given her. Yet something inside of her told her that while yes that was part of it, there was something else, something she was missing. Another deeper reason why she had wished her to keep it to herself. It made her reconsider some things and was it not that Jon placed such trust in the lady, then she may have decided to go against her advice. In the end, she kept to it and hoped to figure out the true reason herself.

"Lord Snow has not returned with you, your grace?" Tyrion asked when he saw them enter the Small Council's Chambers.

"Lord Snow has returned to the North to prepare for the war to come, Lord Tyrion. My armies and I will soon be joining him."

"He is well, your grace?" Olenna asked concernedly

"He is well, Lady Olenna." she said and noticed the relief on the woman's face, something she was surprised to see was shared by Varys as well.

"There is much we need to prepare for. How fares the preparations for the coronation and the city itself?" she asked.

The next hour was spent speaking of the Lords who were coming to swear their fealty. They spoke about different regions and how they had already or may react to the fact that she was to be named as queen by the new High Septon in less than a moon's time. Olenna spoke about the shipments of food and supplies that she'd had sent from the Reach and how she'd organized for some to be readied to be sent North for their armies too. Dany was more than pleased that the woman had already seen to such an important task and hadn't needed to be asked to do so.

Tyrion then spoke about the city and how it had been starved almost under his sister's rule. How the people were now more hopeful under her own. Some supplies had already arrived and been distributed and the Red Keep itself was more than well-stocked, Dany telling Missandei to see that some were given to the children and women who usually were the ones to suffer most when food stocks became scarce. Grey Worm said the city was secure and that there was no sign of any who may still be on Cersei's side. While Varys told her that most of the realm would be so pleased that Cersei was gone, they'd soon flock to pledge to the new queen.

"The North, Your Grace." Tyrion said and she knew then the mood of the meeting would change.

"What of it?"

"With Lord Snow gone back there, we have no leverage to use against them, your grace. No way of making them kneel other than force."

"You wish me to attack the North?" she said angrily while shaking her head.

"I wish the North to kneel, your grace, as I do the rest of the realm."

"There are other ways to see they do so, Lord Hand." Olenna said and Dany bid her continue "Alliances are built on marriage, your grace. More so than they are at war or by beating an enemy. Give the North a marriage and you'll earn their fealty, as truly as you would, were you to beat them in a war, more so given the Northmen's stubbornness."

"And who do you suggest her grace marries, Lady Olenna?" Melisandre asked.

"There is but only one match she can make, my lady. Jon Snow." Olenna said and Dany saw the look on Tyrion's face long before she heard his angered response.

Winterfell 303 AC.

Lyanna Mormont.

They managed to get to the First Keep without being seen. All of the youngest ones were there at Lyanna's behest: Ned Umber and Alys Karstark being the most adamant of the bunch. Larence Snow was also there as were Eddara Tallhart and Talia Forrester, representing her brother Rodrick who was still recovering from some ordeal with the Whitehills. Gilliane Snow, one of Lord Glover's granddaughters who trained with them, was also present, going against her grandfather's wishes to support someone she grew to care about.

"How is King Rickon?" she asked Lyanna first. "Any change in his state?"

"He gave us quite a scare this morn, but the Maester said he is the same." Lyanna answered.

"I'm praying every single day that he recovers," Talia added. "The North is not the same without him."

"Aye, and that is why I wanted to speak to you all."

"Is it about Lady Sansa?" Alys asked, visibly upset, and she sighed loudly when Lyanna nodded. "What happened in the Great Hall was beyond disgraceful."

"To be treated that way by the Lords of the Vale, and to agree to their demands when they belittled us so… Lady Sansa was the one who wanted to wed Ramsay Bolton. We all knew what this monster was capable of. Which showed once again how out of touch she was from the North." Lyanna said, sending an apologetic grimace to Talia and Larence, whose family had both suffered under Ramsay's cruelty. "But I fear that the worst is yet to come."

"What do you mean?"

"Yohn Royce demanded that the Free Folk be sent away from Winterfell, else he would withdraw his help. He would have them sent to the Wall with those who man it."

"King Rickon welcomed them in Winterfell because they bled for the Starks. All of them. What right does this son of a southern whore think he has to chase them away?" Larence growled.

"Lord Manderly pointed that out, that a decree has been made by the King, still they feel in a position of power and Lady Sansa is to announce their departure soon." Lyanna answered.

"Is she out of her mind? If we ask them to leave, they will not fight with us when the time comes." Alys exclaimed.

"She believes they will as they are loyal to Jon Snow."

"But if his family betrays them…" Ned started.

"I know. I'm telling you that she is out of touch with reality. We kept telling her that no one holds a grudge as much as the Free Folk do, that they will not help if they feel disrespected, but she would not listen." Lyanna said, frustrated by this turn of events.

She was not the only one angry at Sansa, as Lord Manderly, Ser Davos, and most of all Arya voiced their discontent. The younger Stark was so incensed that she threatened Sansa to bring her down if she was willing to go through with this.

"We need to tell the other Lords about it. We need to stop her from undermining King Rickon's effort and someone has to send a message to Jon Snow about what is going on here. That is why I asked you to come today. I'm pretty sure that I am being watched, as are Lady Arya, Lord Manderly, and Ser Davos. We have to reunite the Lords of the North, on the morrow before dawn and talk about everything going on. About Lady Sansa taking over, the Vale being a thorn on our side, and the Dragon Queen coming back soon." she said, giving each one of them a missive to hand to the other Lords.

She could see the unease of each at Daenerys Targaryen's mention. The fact that she had come to see for herself about the threat of the Army of the Dead and had been willing to help had been well received amongst the Lords. They understood the need for her to secure her position in the South and wished she would succeed in ending Cersei Lannister, but they didn't know her true character and what Arya had told them about her time in Essos made them wary. Daenerys by all accounts hadn't hesitated to use her dragons to punish those who opposed her and betrayed their word. While Lyanna didn't think much of that, the mention of Aerys Targaryen, the girl's father, ran through the ranks of the Lords who knew him and had fought in the Rebellion.

Was the girl like her father or would she be a better ruler than those the South had provided so far? Would she force them to kneel when the war would be over? After all, Lyanna knew she had the means to do it. The Northern army was in shambles, underfed and it struggled to be united under Sansa Stark. Meanwhile, the Dragon Queen had gotten Dorne and the Reach to join her. She had an army of Unsullied and of Dothraki, who according to what Rickon had told her before he fell ill, was almost unstoppable when they were atop a horse. Lyanna was not well versed in military tactics, but she knew when they were outnumbered and out-skilled, and they definitely were against the Targaryen's supporters. Even without the dragons.

All of them knew that should they be victorious against the dead, they would then have to take an important decision in regards to their independence.

Part of her wanted to fight for it. She had lost so much because of the throne in the South, because of southern politics and she wanted to honor her family's memory. Her mother had knelt and died so there could be a King in the North whose name was Stark, but the North was tired of wars and needed to rebuild. They needed to withstand the current winter and to survive the Army of the Dead before doing so, and she knew they would lose a lot of their people during the fight. Their coffers were empty, as they never were the richest of the seven kingdoms, so they couldn't rely on coin and Davos confirmed it by telling them of Stannis' dealings with the Iron Bank before his death.

"Where will we meet?" Talia asked.

"The Great Hall."

"Isn't it too obvious?" Ned questioned. "If one of the Knights of the Vale sees us, they will hurry to squeal their little tale about us to Littlefinger."

"The other solution is the Godswood, and I will not go there," Lyanna said firmly.

"Neither will I. After what happened to the king, I feel like that place has been abandoned by the Gods."

"Moreover, he will be there. He is always there." Ned added, and she tensed as she saw him shiver.

"Do not worry. He is not invited to our meeting."

"But he knows everything!" Ned whined.

"Let us hope then that he doesn't see this one coming," Alys sighed. "On the morrow, then?"

Lyanna nodded and waited for everyone to scatter before leaving the First Keep. Her guards assured her that no one was around and she walked back to the Great Keep to check on her friend. When she passed by the Godswood's entrance, flashes of the fateful day when Rickon lost consciousness came to her mind. She was starting to lose hope, to think that he would never recover. He looked so frail, so weak in his bed, all traces of his good nature and lively self were gone from his body, and she only held onto the fact that he was still breathing. He didn't give up on them, so she would keep faith in him. She just wished the Red Woman was there to do more of her magic.

"Good day to you, Lady Mormont!"

"It was good until I heard your voice, Baelish," she spat, her face matching her tone.

"I'm sorry, my Lady. I should know better than to inconvenience you before you break your fast." he said, his voice taking a mocking tone that she disliked greatly.

"You think you won, did you? You think your schemes have worked this time?"

"Why, you wound me, Lady Lyanna. I never once worked against your interest and those of the North."

"Your very presence is against the interests of the North and those of my King!" she spat back at him.

"You let your dislike for Lady Sansa and myself cloud your judgment, my Lady. We are not your enemies."

"My dislike for you is exactly what keeps my eyes open to your manipulations. Now get out of my way or I will make you sorry that you crossed my path this day."

"Always so violent in your attitude and your words. So fierce in protecting your king. I admire that, truly. In fact, I wish that some people in the Vale had a backbone like you. My task would be so much easier with someone like you around my dear Lord Robert, instead of those who wish to influence him."

"Like you're doing here by infiltrating the council and pushing Lady Sansa to rule?"

"Such cutting words and such passion. Yes, I have truly chosen well for my goodson." Littlefinger said with a smirk.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I have asked Lady Sansa to bring forward my suggestion of a union between you and the Lord Protector of the Vale. I wanted to talk to you before, yet you keep avoiding me."

Blood drained from Lyanna's face as she finally understood the meaning of Littlefinger's words.

Marriage. They wanted her to marry a bloody Southerner. To force her out of the North, out of her home, and to play some game of politics at her expense. She, who was the head of her house and had ruled her lands since the War of the Five Kings.

Anger soon replaced shock in her mind and she unsheathed her sword, determined to end this man whose smirk didn't leave his face for a moment. If it weren't for her guards, the traitors, she would have managed to pierce his heart.

"My Lady, you cannot," Tophen, one of them, said.

"By the Old Gods, let me go, or I swear…"

"We are under guest rights, my Lady, and so is he. As much as I may hate it." Tophen insisted.

"He is right, I am a welcome guest of House Stark," Littlefinger said haughtily. "And I will not disclose what happened here between you and me, for I am your ally, Lady Mormont."

"An ally, you want to sell me off to some lord like I belong to you and you dare call yourself my ally? You don't own me! I am not one of your whores you can use at your convenience."

"This is a marriage proposal, Lady Lyanna. Not a death sentence!"

"Yet you go behind my back and ask Lady Sansa about it? Do you think she will convince me, me, to accept this?"

"She is the King's Regent, my Lady. I only intended to bring the subject to you through her because you seem to dislike me, and in this, you've just proved me right."

"Mark my words, Baelish. I'd rather die than be a pawn in your schemes. You will not make me leave my home! You'll be dead long before I leave, guest rights be damned!"

"You're so much like your namesake…" Baelish sighed dramatically before narrowing his eyes at her. "She claimed for all who deigned to hear that she didn't want to wed Robert Baratheon. Let us hope you will have a better fate than hers in the end. For your sake."

She struggled with her guards while the Mockingbird walked away, seemingly unfazed by her blooming rage as if the matter was settled. Maybe in the South, they were used to obedient ladies who would never object to the decision made for them, but she was Lyanna Mormont. She was the Bear of Bear Island, and she would show them how to deal with a true Lady of the North. Starting with Sansa Stark.

King's Landing 303 AC.

Tyrion.

It hadn't taken some time to put the city to rights, the people were as much relieved that his sister and Euron Greyjoy were no longer in charge as they were happy about Daenerys being their new queen. Though over the first few days after the fall of the city, it had begun to swing far more to the latter. Especially once food stocks arrived and were handed out to those who'd not seen such bounty in many a moon.

He'd concentrated on his work as best he could, while at the same time doing his best to not let his anger come to the fore. All his plans, all his clever schemes had been for naught since the queen had never intended to live up to his word. There was never truly a parley or for his sister to be given the chance to simply walk away. The words that had been spoken in the Dragonpit had been clear enough evidence of that and even were they not, the actions that followed certainly were. Tyrion had been kept out of the planning of the attack, kept in the dark while Olenna Tyrell, the Queen, and Jon Fucking Snow had planned for the taking of King's Landing. It had been the bastard himself who had confirmed it when he'd spoken to him. The queen was busy speaking to her dragons while they did their best to ready the Red Keep for her and the new regime.

" You planned to attack, this was not what I was led to believe was to happen." he said angrily.

" And what were you led to believe, That we'd march North with a knife being held at our backs? You claim to be your father's son, Tyrion, but your father would never have considered such a thing." Jon Snow retorted.

" Don't speak of my father, Ba…"

" You wish to defend his name and reputation and yet he'd be here to do both were it not for the bolt you fired into his belly. I care not for your father, Tyrion, he was a cunt as was your sister. The only thing you can trust a cunt to be is a cunt and so even were Cersei to agree to such a foolish plan, she'd have tried to fuck us afterward. We have the numbers now, the Old Gods only know what we'll have once the fight with the Night King is done. Yet you'd have left her here, left her army untouched, and allowed us to be weakened while she grew strong? Or was that really your plan?" Jon Snow said, and had he been a bigger man then Tyrion would have struck him where he stood.

" My plan was to see Daenerys crowned queen with the least amount of bloodshed possible." he sneered.

" Which has now been accomplished. We've taken this city with less than a thousand men dead. The dragon's flames haven't needed to be used and though she's escaped with Euron Greyjoy, your sister and he are done for. That is how you win a war, Tyrion, not by words, but by fucking beating your enemies, and Cersei and Euron are our enemies."

" The Queen…"

" Can now truly name herself such. She behaved honorably and beat a tyrant, a tale worthy of song." Jon Snow said almost happily.

" And what songs will be sung of you, Snow?" he asked bitterly.

" People don't sing songs of cripples, bastards, and broken things, Tyrion, only a fool wouldn't know that."

He had still been furious when he'd gone to see Jaime, his brother was almost broken by the fact that Cersei had abandoned him and had run off with Euron Greyjoy of all people. When he'd spoken to him about this not being his plan and that Jon Snow had played him, Jaime laughed and told him that he should be grateful to him. That Cersei would have seen him dead before too long and no matter what words she'd spoken during the parley, she'd have never lived up to them.

It didn't make his anger at Jon Snow lessen any and even after he and the queen had flown to Dragonstone together, it had been at the forefront of his mind as he'd helped put the city to rights. Briefly, during the fighting in the Dragonpit, he'd believed that the bastard would fall, The giant, who he'd since found out was The Mountain, was unaffected by the cuts delivered to him by Jon Snow's blade and so Tyrion had thought something good at least would come from the breaking of parley. Only for the Green Dragon to come to his rescue and even that annoyed him greatly. Not simply because it meant that Jon Snow got to live and breathe another day, but even in this it seemed that he was getting more than he. That he had found yet another dragon's favor where Tyrion had not.

Had he not freed the dragons from the dungeons in Meereen?

Was it not him who'd removed the chains from it and its brother's neck?

Did he not deserve a dragon more than a Northern Bastard?

When news came of the attack on Dragonstone, while others worried, he had rejoiced. Had he not been doing so, so completely, then he may have noticed that even Varys seemed as worried as Lady Olenna and others did. Even here he was to find no respite and when news came that Jon Snow had woken, he'd spent the night getting incredibly drunk. All of his anger, all of his jealousy though didn't prepare him for what he'd just heard, and as he looked around the room, he prayed to the gods he was dreaming.

"There is only one match she can make, my lady. Jon Snow." Olenna Tyrell said and Tyrion could hold his words no longer.

"A Bastard, you would have our queen wed a Bastard?" he asked furiously "The Lords of Westeros would never accept a bastard as a consort."

"Tyrion!" Dany said angrily.

"You cannot marry a bastard, Your Grace." he said, shaking his head.

"And why not, Lord Hand?" Olenna goaded.

"The South would never accept a Bastard, Lady Olenna, certainly not a Northern one."

"Yet the South would respect a Kinslayer as a Hand?" Olenna said looking at him and Tyrion glared at her in response.

"Would not a marriage to Lord Snow be fortuitous to our queen?" Missandei asked and then quickly added. "In regards to bringing the North in line."

"Dragons will bring the North in line. Fire and Blood will bring the North in line. If they refuse to accept our rule, then we burn them all." Tyrion said, his blood was still rising as he spoke.

"ENOUGH!."

All eyes turned to the queen and he found himself withering under her angry gaze. He'd never seen such fury in her eyes as he did right then and he felt fearful as the room quietened.

"While I wish to speak more on the North and on Lady Olenna's suggestion. Other points have been raised and must be addressed before I could even consider such a thing."

"You can't, your grace. You can't marry a bastard, I can't… I'd not support such a thing."

"You don't decide what I can and cannot do, Tyrion, and since you can't support such a thing, Then very well, I accept your resignation as Hand." Daenerys said and he looked at her incredulously, he'd not resigned, had he?

"Your Grace…."

"Lady Olenna was right, Tyrion. I cannot have a Kinslayer as my Hand. That I know for certain won't be accepted."

"And a Bastard, an Oathbreaker, a deserter from the Watch would." he almost shouted.

"Careful, Tyrion. I've allowed you to speak ill of one of my closest allies for long enough, name Lord Snow as such once more in my presence and you'll have reached the limits of my patience."

"Your grace I…"

"Can no longer serve as my Hand. Were it not for how people may see you being enough of a detriment to it, then your advice lately has only shown that to be clear. Your sister had to be removed, Tyrion, you were the only one who could not see it was so and whether that influenced your decisions or not, matters little. I can no longer trust you have my best interests at heart and so I can no longer trust you to serve as my Hand. You shall be named as Lord of Casterly Rock as is your right, but in time I'll appoint a new Warden of the West. For I fear you'd not garner the support of the Westerlands either." Dany said and though she seemed somewhat saddened by it, he felt she enjoyed it a little too, seeing him shamed so.

"Your Grace." he said with a nod of his head as he removed his pin and walked from the room, he turned back and looked to see the queen speaking to Olenna and he was sure he'd seen her take his pin and place it on her chest.

The anger soon led to wishes for retribution, revenge, and other darker thoughts. His drunken dreams that night went to some very dark places as he watched Jon Snow be torn limb from limb and Olenna Tyrell and the others who'd been in the room that day all face their own ends. Yet it was the walk into the room and seeing her tied to the bed, seeing the fear in her eyes as he took out his knife and cut her clothing from her body that he enjoyed the most. Or would have been, were it not for what came next. Her screams as he forced himself on the silver-haired queen were like music to his ears and when he woke the next morning he'd found that he'd spent in his bed.

He found him in the brothel the very next day, or to be more precise it was Bronn who found him. Tyrion threw him the pouch full of coins that would pay for his entertainment that night and bid him take a seat before sending for the drinks.

"I heard you lost your pin." Bronn said and the jape didn't go down as well as he may have wished for.

"I've lost far too much, want to help me get it back?"

"Why should I? What's in it for me?"

"A keep, a large one. Highgarden Mayhaps." he said and Bronn laughed.

"How the fuck can you get me, Highgarden?"

"That depends, have you ever killed a bastard?" he asked, smiling at the thought of seeing Jon Snow finally brought low.

Winterfell 303 AC.

Sansa Stark.

She wished she was in Rickon's place. Not only because it would mean her brother would be up and in good health, but her wish was more selfish at that time. She was mentally exhausted and lost in her misery. While she was still able to show a strong demeanor in front of everyone, she was broken inside.

Littlefinger and the Lords of the Vale were making more and more outrageous demands now that they felt they had leverage over the North. That Bran had been the one to publically give them that power had hurt her greatly, but her brother knew things, she could not deny it, and only a fool would ignore his counsel. Still, she felt as if she was one, as memories of her last spat with Arya came to her mind.

"Arya, I swear to you on everything I hold dear that I didn't know what they would do."

"I don't believe you."

"I know I have made mistakes in the past-"

"Mistakes? Your desire to be Queen led you to betray your own Father! How is that a simple mistake?"

"Don't you think I feel guilty enough about what happened to Father? I tried to correct my mistakes, I begged Joffrey to forgive Father for his treason-"

"You were the one committing treason against your own family! And now you're doing the same! You condemned Father and our entire household by running to Cersei to warn her that we were ordered to leave."

"It was stupid and I will forever bear this error of judgment in my heart, but I was a child at the time! I didn't know it would go this far! If I could turn back time I wouldn't do so again!"

"You sided with Joffrey against Robb when you asked him to bend the knee and denounce Father as a traitor…"

"The Lannisters were mistreating me! I had no choice!" she tried to defend herself.

"You sided with Littlefinger against Aunt Lysa."

"How…"

"Was it because you were a child, then? That you protected the man who had killed our Aunt?"

"She tried to kill me! I owed him a debt for spiriting me out of King's Landing! And she thought I wanted him, she tried to kill me and he saved my life again!"

"Did you owe him when you agreed to wed into the Boltons? The family of traitors who killed our family and took our position as Warden of the North? Or was it simply because you wanted to be in a position of power once again?"

"I…"

"Did you owe him when you've withheld information about the Knight of the Vales in the Battle of the Bastards at the expense of Rickon's life? Or was our brother simply an inconvenience to your future as Lady of Winterfell?"

"Arya…"

"I think it's high time we tell everyone about your role in the decline of the North," Arya said, her eyes blazing with fury.

Panic ran through Sansa's veins as she saw her sister move to the door.

" Arya, please don't do this!" she begged, running after her and grabbing her arm, only to gasp as she felt the coldness of a blade against her neck.

She could read the hatred in Arya's eyes and tears ran through her cheek as she realized that her sister would not hesitate to kill her.

" So, it has really come to that…" she sobbed. "You're turning against me. You're willing to become a kinslayer?"

" I said nothing until now because a part of me believed you when you said it would break our family, that it would break Rickon's heart and my little brother didn't deserve to look down even more upon you. I believed that you deserved a chance to prove that you were still a Stark. I guess my hopes got the better of me once again because I fell for your lies."

" I didn't lie… I just don't know how to make it better…"

" Renounce the regency. Let the Lords do what Rickon bid them. forget about sending the Free Folk away and mayhaps I will believe you."

" It's not that simple!" Sansa cried desperately.

" Then make it simple or I will destroy your image of the perfect Lady in a snap. I give you until Jon's return to make it right. Anything I deem as going against Rickon's wishes and the North's interest and I will not hesitate to intervene."

Time was closing on her and she found no solution for the Vale problem. Her sister was now truly opposing her and Bran was of no help at all. Worst of all, Littlefinger's insistence and attention towards her increased, and she wanted so much to break guest right and end his life, but she couldn't. She had thought about telling Yohn Royce what had really happened with Lysa and Jon Arryn. She knew though that her image had been tainted the moment the Knights of the Vale had heard about her going willingly to the Boltons to wed Ramsay, and it would be difficult for her to make them believe her now.

She finally decided to get ready for the day and to get out of her now cold bath when Lyanna Mormont barged into her room unannounced, making Sansa scream out in fear.

"Are you out of your mind?" she yelled, scurrying to find something to cover her body.

"I should be the one asking you that! Who the hell do you think you are to talk about marriage on my behalf?" Lyanna retorted, making Sansa sigh.

"I suppose that you have talked to Lord Baelish…"

"Ayem and he smugly told me that he wanted me to wed, without asking for my consent. And that you were aware of that!"

"He asked me to talk to you about this eventuality, but I never agreed to do so," Sansa replied tiredly, unable to maintain her usual façade. Not when she stood almost naked in front of the girl. Thankfully the guards at least had the decency to close the door behind them, the two of them looking as embarrassed as she felt. "Do you mind if I dress?"

Lyanna narrowed her eyes but nodded and Sansa felt self-conscious as she grabbed her small clothes and slip to cover herself. She knew that the Lady of Bear Island could see the marks on her body, the remnants of her life with Ramsay, and she hurried to cover them to the best extent that she could, without getting fully dressed.

"Now, talk," Lyanna ordered.

"Baelish asked for a lot of things. One of them was to send you to the Vale so that you could marry my cousin, but we both know that will never happen."

"Do we?" Lyanna asked, not looking as she believed her.

"You are the head of your House, Lady Mormont. Only the Head of your House, one of your parents with superior authority, or the King himself could decide who you can wed."

"And since I am the Head of my House and I would rather die than marry a southerner, that's why he turned to the King's Regent to carry out his dirty schemes," Lyanna spat.

"Indeed. And as my brother's regent, it is my duty to as my brother would command."

"Rickon would never -"

"No he wouldn't, hence my refusal to talk to you about this. For this reason, and that I would never put someone in a position that I knew from personal experience to be an unpleasant one."

"I don't get it."

"We both know that whatever idea Littlefinger has for you, it will never come to pass. You will kill your supposed betrothed before anything could be signed. Hells, Rickon himself would kill him if he knew about that. He might even try to have Baelish's head simply for suggesting it." Sansa chuckled fondly.

"Of course he would, he is my friend!" Lyanna said petulantly and Sansa smiled for the first time in days.

"Friend… If you say so…" she said, amused.

"What is it with people who think there's more to it than what we say? We are not courting!" Lyanna retorted, visibly annoyed.

"Well, whether or not this is the case… Politically speaking, this would be a nightmare for the North and for the Vale. You would cause far too much trouble and I need my cousin very much alive."

"So you will not force it on me?" Lyanna asked, still wary of her.

"Regardless of what you think of me, I will never subject another woman to another of Littlefinger's plans. I have suffered enough because of them and I still am."

"Why is he still here, then? Why are you agreeing to their other demands?"

"I'm trying to buy some time, my Lady. And I fear we don't have much left."

"The Free Folk? Everything you've declared in the council?"

"I… My brother says we will not win without their support. And I trust my brother."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't."

"Bran is -"

"A cunt who doesn't care a fucking thing about his family. How many times did he visit Rickon? How often do you and Arya go in a day?"

"And how many times do you?" Sansa asked and Lyanna rolled her eyes.

"That is not the point. Rickon doesn't trust him."

"He doesn't trust me either."

"True. And I don't either. Stop listening to Bran and get rid of the parasites from the South and perhaps that would change."

"Is that an order?" Sansa frowned, feeling threatened by Lyanna's assertive tone.

"It's the best thing to do if you ever want to be respected in the North. Do what you want with that piece of advice, I do not care. Things will change soon and I hope you will be ready to face the consequences of your actions, or lack of. Don't forget, the North Remembers and your case so far is not a good one, Lady Bolton."

Sansa stood frozen as Lyanna walked out of her room, less agitated than before but still angry at her. The use of her wedded name made her shiver. No matter how much she tried to distance herself from the name and the things she had endured under her husband's hands, there was always someone or something to remind her of it. She had realized during their last meeting with the Lords that marrying Ramsay had made her untrustworthy in the eyes of the North and she then understood why no one had wanted to fight for her to get Winterfell back. Had it not been for Jon and Ser Davos, a bastard deserter of the Watch and a southerner as they'd been called many times by some Lords, they would have garnered no support for their cause at all. It now pained her to think about all that she had been led to believe growing up.

She thought about her mother claiming she would be the best queen the seven kingdoms would have seen since Good Queen Alysanne, and yet she had never been prepared for life at court at all. Not like Margaery Tyrell who knew how to behave and to look the part. Instead, it had been ladylike pursuits that her mother and Septa had encouraged her to take part in when she'd truly needed a fuller education.

She thought about how Littlefinger had convinced her that her name alone would make her untouchable in the North. How people were just waiting for a Stark to return and how they would support her claim when the time would be right. How wrong he had been and how stupid she was to still follow his advice. The North had suffered because of the Starks, because of her indirectly. So while some of those in the North were still loyal to her father's memory and oaths given to her ancestors centuries ago, they'd shown that their survival was more important than following the right name and she couldn't blame them for that. Not after doing so herself.

Yet they followed Rickon, and not once since the start of his reign had he been disrespected. Of course, there were people like Glover and the Lords of the Vale who wanted him gone, for nefarious reasons. Rickon had however managed something that she wasn't certain Robb had in his time as King in the North. Even those who fought against the Starks defended Rickon because he represented them and took their opinions into consideration. His council was loyal to a fault, refusing to compromise an inch on what they knew Rickon would have refused to do. They were steadfast in their positions and not one move from Littlefinger would convince them to turn their cloak, if anything, it made them even stronger in their convictions.

What she had tried to accomplish all her life, Rickon had done in a few moons. He was respected as a leader and loved by the people. Sansa doubted they'd ever love her, especially if they knew that she was somewhat one of the catalysts of the War of the Five Kings. She wished that she could be one of them. She wished her parents could look down on her proudly and say she had done well. That she was a true Lady of the North, a true Stark, a member of the Pack, and that she was loved.

But she wasn't.

She would soon have to face the wrath of the Lords, of her family, and her salvation would reside in how she would meet their judgment. For she was certain that Arya was not bluffing and she couldn't possibly make the Lords of the Vale leave now. She felt as if everything was crumbling around her and she could rely on no one to comfort her, and worst of all, it was entirely her fault.

Sansa finished getting dressed and went to her brother's side. As usual, when she got there, Arya left the room, but not without giving her a hateful glance and a warning about watching her. What hurt Sansa the most was that her own sister would think she was capable of voluntarily harming their family. It had never been her intention, not even when she was a child. She had been selfish, yes, and so she had clung to the idea of being queen. She had thought she deserved it once because her mother had told her that the King had chosen her and Joffrey had seemed so gallant in a time of what only mattered to her was herself.

Mayhaps her sister was right and she was still that selfish little girl trapped in a woman's body. Looking at her brother's frail form, she was reminded of how she had acted when Bran had fallen from the First Tower. She had been inconsolable at first, thinking of how her little brother was hurt and would probably die, but while she didn't wish for Bran's death and had never done so, she remembered being annoyed for the inconvenience he posed at the time. Their trip South had been delayed until it couldn't be so any longer, and the more Sansa thought of it, the more ashamed she felt for pressing their unwilling father to hasten their journey. She had done so though, so eager was she to discover the south and its delights.

"Father didn't want to leave, you know?" she said as she took her place next to Rickon, happy to see Ghost settle near her. "He didn't want to go South, not when one of his children was hurt, but he felt that he had to go for the good of his other children. He left for my sake, I'm sure of it. Because I was an annoyance to him at that time. I know what you would say. 'Sansa, you still are still an annoyance, dear sister', and you would be right…" she chuckled. "I know you were mad at Jon for leaving, and maybe that's why you're… why you don't want to wake up. Maybe you think he has abandoned you, but he hasn't. I know he hasn't because he cares about you more than anything else. Jon will come back, he always doe., That's what his former brothers of the Night's Watch told me once. And I hope you'll be with us to welcome him back. Please, little brother, we need you to wake up. I cannot… I know people believe I wanted to take your place, and in a way, I did, until I realized that you were already doing what I wished to accomplish. You were protecting our family to the best of your abilities, and you were doing it so well that we feel….I feel…. lost without you… Things are definitely not the same without you here." she said as she felt Ghost lick her hand and she moved her head to rest it on her brother's chest, the sound of his heart beating offering her some comfort at least.

King's Landing 303 AC.

Olenna.

When the queen had arrived without Jon Snow, she'd been worried that despite the raven saying otherwise, he'd succumbed to his injuries. Given what Varys had found out and her own fondness for the young man, that would have been an absolute disaster. So she'd been greatly relieved, if not a little miffed, that he'd recovered and was now heading back to the North. She'd have preferred him to be here and for him to be available to speak to, but in the end, it changed little as what had to be done, still had to be done. Her conversation with Varys had shown that clearly.

" You're certain of this?" she asked.

" As certain as I can be until I speak to the woman personally." Varys replied.

" Milk brothers…" Olenna sighed.

" Lord Dayne was clear on that point and knowing that the woman swaddled Jon Snow when he was but a babe, I have no doubt that this Wylla knows the truth of his birth. Her reluctance to speak to anyone but Jon Snow himself tells me even more this is true. Which is why I've arranged for her to come to King's Landing and join her grace when she heads north." Varys said and Olenna nodded before asking about the other side of the Jon Snow issue, his parents.

" What of the nature of Rhaegar and Lyanna's relationship?"

" They wed my lady, of that I've no doubt. Apparently, there is something in the Septon's journal about this, though thus far my little birds have not been able to find it." Varys replied.

" Mayhap I need to send word to Lord Leyton or Ser Baelor? The Hightowers are the Defenders of the Faith and if anyone can get access to Septon's journals then surely they can"

" Would that they could, my lady. I fear the book itself may no longer exist and if so then the letters may be the only proof. Hopefully, you can prove me wrong."

" The letters, what do they say?" she asked eagerly.

" That Septon Maynard presided over a wedding between a dragon and a wolf."

" He didn't name them?" she asked annoyedly.

" No more than that, I believe the Septon thought himself to be clever." Varys replied and she was pleased that he kept his usual tittering to himself.

" He was very much not. This is enough, for us, for the queen mayhap, though not for the realm." she said more to herself than to Varys though he answered anyway.

" Once they're wed it matters not, my lady. Trueborn or not, it makes no difference. He is Rhaegar's son and it's only a matter of time before he and the green dragon take to the skies together. They must be wed and we must see it done."

" We will, Lord Varys, we will."

Knowing what she needed to do, she'd brought it up the first chance she got and wasn't surprised when Tyrion reacted how he did. Though she was by how far he went and when the queen spoke as furiously as she did, Olenna did her best not to chuckle. Tyrion losing his pin was a surprise and a most welcome one and watching him as he walked from the room brought her a huge sense of relief. She had intended to speak to Jon Snow or Jon Targaryen as he may well be, the soonest she could in regards to Tyrion's role. Olenna hoped that like her, he'd noticed how Tyrion had acted in the Dragonpit and that he'd seek the queen to act because of it. It now seemed the queen had noticed it too.

"Lady Olenna, I would name you Hand of the Queen." Daenerys said holding out the pin in her hand and Olenna didn't need to look to see the angered expression on Tyrion's face as the door closed behind him.

"Your Grace, I am most honored. However, as with Lord Tyrion, mine own crimes are now known. A Kingslayer for a Hand is just as troubling as a Kinslayer, your grace."

"Unless that King truly needs killing, my lady." Daenerys said and Olenna looked at her curiously "Jon told me some of what King Joffrey did. He spoke of how he treated his sister and that it was he who decided that his father should die."

"I believe that to be true, your grace."

"Then you did the realm a service, my lady. Now with that in mind." Daenerys said looking at the pin and Olenna nodded.

She put the pin on her chest and looked to see that both Ellaria and Varys seemed pleased by this, as did Missandei.

"While I know you may wish to speak on matters of my marriage and of the North, I'd prefer to deal with other matters first before we then have that particular discussion." Daenerys said and there were no arguments from any of those present.

"The Reach, Lady Olenna. I… I know this may be difficult but you are the last of your line, are you not?" she asked and Olenna shook her head.

"Not quite, your grace. While Loras and my sweet Margaery may have taken most of my attention I was not remiss in regards to my other grandchildren. I have two grandsons and a granddaughter and their mother, my daughter, still lives. As does my other daughter who's still young enough to bring forth an heir. Desmera is a fine young lady and with the right match could be a good choice to sit in my stead in Highgarden, a better one than perhaps either of my grandsons. So with your leave, I'd seek to look to her." she said and Daenerys nodded her agreement.

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