One Positive Change at a Time (ASOIAF: Viserys SI) Dead.

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 21: Seeing Eye Wolf
Sansa Stark
​

"Let me teach you how to see more than you ever could have with your eyes alone." The old man's voice croaks in the blackness once again and I finally gather the courage to accept his offer.

"How?" I might not be able to wake up yet but I've heard my visitors.

The fact that I survived dragon fire is a miracle and my sight a very small price to pay. At first all I could feel was agony that seemed to have no end, but that was soothed the same time a single roaring flame appeared in the darkness with me.

It illuminates a small cavern with the bones of many animals littering the floor that slopes up towards a wall of white. The howl of a wolf comes from right outside the cave, but I'm not startled in the slightest by the noise.

"You'll need to make your own way to me but I've ensured you will have a guide." The voice comes from every direction and none all at the same time.

From the blizzard emerges a massive grey shape the size of a pony. But ponies don't have teeth like that.

Instead of a tame steed like I had hoped for, a massive wolf towers above me with a coat of steel grey fur. For less than a second the wolf is gone and replaced with a smirking Robb. But before I can say anything to him, I blink and the wolf is back.

"Robb?" But the last image I ever saw was him dying.

"What was left of him at least," Admits the creepy voice that I'm starting to suspect is one of the Old Gods. "I was distracted and was almost too late in guiding him into my friend here. You Starks are a stubborn lot and it took a lot of convincing before he agreed to delay his rest."

I want to call the voice insane but everyone was very insistent that Lady Melisandre revived Queen Rhaella. She hatched the dragons so who am I to doubt my own families Gods?

"How did you convince him?" What could you have possibly have told my brother?

"I'll let him show you." The words sound more like a threat than an offer but the voice was right. We Starks are stubborn.

Robb leads me out of the cave and stops to let me climb onto his back once I see how deep the snow is. It can't really be like this North of the Wall, not in the middle of summer.

We race through snow that tickles my ankles even as high up as I am and I can see scores of crows watching us from the trees. I'm not sure how long we run through the eerie forest as time seems to have no meaning. The blizzard makes what little light that filters through the canopy seem like an eternal dusk, with night about to set forever on the world.

Several times Robb runs into a village and I expect this to finally be where he stops. Only for each and every settlement to be filled with horribly mangle bodies. It's hard to look at but by the third I've grown brave enough to examine them more closely.

Was it animals that did this? Or are wildlings truly so savage that they do these things to their own people?

Tracks from each settlement go northeast and we follow them out of the forest. We emerge on a rocky shore with barley any sight of life and only a single walled settlement in the distance.

What worries me however is the sight of over thirty long ships in good enough condition to actually face the conditions of the open sea. Twice as many are being built on shore just outside the village, with hundreds of people bringing fresh trees from nearby.

Are they going around the Wall or do they want Skagos? Did Victarion Greyjoy leave them the knowledge of where he fled to? Is he going to come back for them or are the wildlings going to him?

Is that Edriggon? I frown at the sight of the yellow dragon laying down in the middle of the town. What's Jenn doing here? Did they capture her or is she here willingly?

Before I can investigate further, Robb tenses beneath me and lets out a long mournful howl of warning. It cuts through the blizzard and causes the wildlings outside the walls to run for safety, leaving whatever task they had unfinished.

We dash away right as countless inhuman shrieks pierce the storm. As I glance over my shoulder my stomach fills with horror.

Hundreds… no, thousands of dead bodies charge from the forest. Descending on the walled town like locusts, the screams of panic make me tear my gaze away. Jenn can fly away still, she'll be okay.

We travel for what seems like years, constantly being forced to avoid reanimated animals as they hunt tirelessly for me. Robb never tires and keeps us just ahead of the horrors from Old Nan's stories, while I somehow know we're getting close to our goal.

After we avoid the largest group since the first attack on the town, Robb brings us into a valley sheltered from the storm. In the middle is a single plateau that is surrounded by a winding river, the largest weirwood tree I have ever seen at the peak.

A single raven watches our approach and caws out once we cross some invisible threshold. "Winter is coming!" My shock at it's very human voice is nothing compared to my horror as it's black feathers become bloody red.

The bird's wings open impossibly wide and shower me in crimson, blotting out my vision with a dark red. "If you come to me, I can promise you spring."


...


Sitting up with a gasp, I rub at my face when everything remains a single sheet of red. I can hear people calling out to me but ignore them all. Why isn't the blood wiping off?

"Can somebody help me, I can't see." Ignoring the fact that my face is dry, I focus on Mother's voice. "Why can't I see anything?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Asks Aunt Lyanna when my mother doesn't do more than let out a chocked sob and clutch my hand a little to tightly.

I don't think anyone is going to believe me. "We went to go see the dragons with Prince Joffrey and…" I trail of as the memory of searing pain floods me. "Oh."

"Don't worry Sansa," Mother finally speaks with a strange reverence in her voice. "Lady Melisandre and Gendry will be coming back to Winterfell with us and one day you'll be able to see again."

But I can't go to Winterfell. I need to convince one of my cousins to fly me beyond the Wall. Instead of saying that, I go with a more believable shocked silence.

"Where's Jennelyn?" My words get an awkward grunt and a few hisses, but no one seems eager to answer.

It's Gendry who finally answers me with a weaker voice than I'm used to hearing from him. "She flew North about a week ago and we haven't seen her since."

"Did anyone go looking for her?" They have three dragons here, why didn't Duncan or Dany go after her?

"Duncan went South at the same time and we only found out where he went today when my sister arrived." Gendry answers with only slight hesitation. "Dany went to get your ma because we kind of thought…"

No on is eager to pick up where he left off until Arya finally blurts it out the bluntest way possible. "We all thought you might die. I'm really glad you didn't though, because I do kind of love you." She admits with a groan. "When you aren't making me play with you and Beth at least, she's so annoying. Never wants to do anything fun and you're just as boring when she's around."

"Well don't worry, I won't be asking you to do any stitching with me anymore." I'm not sure what I'll do.

"Mother is letting me shave off my hair like you!" I'm surprised by the excitement in her voice and it takes a second to register her words.

"What do you mean like me?" I lift my fingers from my face to my forehead and frown when I feel no hair.

As I go farther and find no hair I start to feel my lips tremble. "Where's my hair?"


...

​

Margaery Tyrell
​

"They have dragons!" I roar out the warning as soon as I see the cages revealed and Garlan doesn't waste even a second reacting.

His shock at seeing Coppernicus the first time was all it took him to start thinking of ways to fight such a creature and it seems like he already has some ideas. A section of the fleet breaks off ad follows us straight for the enemy flag ship, one of the Long-cogs from the Insurrection.

The constant volleys of arrows leave any ships between us and the outnumbered Coppernicus unable to stop us. Before long we reach the ship and I wait with baited breath for my brother to give the signal.

When he does, three hundred arrows fly straight towards the flying beast farthest from Viserys. But to my unpleasant shock, only the wings seems to take any damage.

Unable to stay in the air it starts to fall from the sky. Instead of landing safely on the boat it came on, it turns it's baleful eyes on the Celebration and screeches with vengeful fury as it glides towards us.

It's not even half the size of the massive Coppernicus and a very garish puke green. but it's still a deadly fifteen feet with a tail almost as long as it is.

I hear the crew yelling that it's a wyvern and the tail is poisoned but how was I supposed to know the difference. These three look more like the dragons from the old stories than the one Viserys has.

Garlan leads the crew in facing the beast which lets me focus on the enemy ship. When I bring the far-eye back up, I nearly drop it in shock when I see Viserys on foot and engaged in battle with a very large bearded man.

That's not what has me worried though. Viserys told us a few tales of his voyages into Valyria and he explained what the massive rune covered horns can do. If they blow that thing… Coppernicus will turn on the entire fleet.

Viserys needs to be warned! I'm about to scream out one and realize it will only get him killed. His foe is skilled and has more than enough weapons to deal with the Valyrian steel axes corroding his own.

Can't distract Viserys and the rest of the crew is a little busy. I look around for anyone able to help and realize I'm being just another damsel in distress. Why did I demand a weapon if I'm not going to use it?

Viserys insisted I wear his chain mail and I find it's not actually slowing me down at all. With a deep breath I grab on of the ropes tied to the sail and slice through the knot with 'Thorn'. My new sword cuts through it like a blade of grass and I leap from the crow's nest towards the Long-Cog.

My momentum send me clear over the enemy ship and I have to brace my legs when I swing right into one of the equally shocked pirates. I'm pretty sure I felt a rib break when I hit him but it could have just been from the railing as he fell overboard.

"Let's see how strong I grew." I mutter under my breath and charge towards the three men with the horn nearly as big as me. "We brought our own music, thanks!"

Only one man is between me and my goal and he's too surprised by my arrival to have his sword readied in time. I've never actually killed anyone before or even done more than hit someone to hard with a training weapon. Thorn goes right through his boiled leather like it's not even on and come out right in the middle of the pirates back.

He goes limp on my blade and slides off with panic filled eyes but I force down my disgust at how much blood is coming out of him. Can't stop now or everyone is dead.

I glance at the battle with the final wyvern who is using it's aerial advantage to score several painful looking stabs with it's tail spike. The head of the largest hes been crushed against the mast by the bony club of Coppernicus but he's slowing down. Hope it's only cause he's getting tired out, some of those look pretty deep.

Viserys is nearby and is trying to close in on the savage man who at the moment has a sword and ax of his own, though the sword looks in dire need of replacing. Several bodies litter the deck around them and show neither man wants to have this duel interfered with. Fine with me.

Seeing masters actually going all out shows me it wasn't actually my fighting skills that impressed Viserys. I'll pass on a real match with you, though I would love seeing you go all out against Garlan. Because ever since beating Lord Jaime, he's been a little bit too arrogant in claiming to be Westeros' greatest swordsman.

My charge is noticed and the first man let's out a single sharp note on the bronze bound black horn. He steps aside and charges for me to buy his companions time but I take faith in my armor.

He stabs into my back as I run right past him and I barely even feel it, it's more of a shove than anything. Once I'm past him I swing right for the mouth piece of the horn and am shocked when it barely even cracks.

Instead of freezing up I swing again even harder and grin in relief when half a foot snaps off the horn. My joy doesn't last long though because I get slashed at again and this time no magical armor is covering the spot.

Agony run up my forearm and is followed by a nearly foot long line of crimson blood. The pirate with the bloody knife cackles in his native language but that only fills me with rage. Asha will beat me black and blue for getting distracted like that!

Reacting on rage filled adrenaline, I slash back in retaliation and slice him open from belly to chin. My foe gasps and gurgles on his own blood before collapsing on the deck, leaving me with only his two concerned allies. Neither seem eager to rush me with only knives and so I take advantage of that before I lose this surge of energy.

Somehow I'm able to suppress my horror at the sounds and sights of battle but find it's the smells really getting to me. No one ever tells you how bad it smells when you kill someone and they soil themselves. The only ones who even mention it will just laugh about it.

"Drop your knives and lay down on your bellies, or you get to tell your ancestors a woman killed you." I'm not sure I can take them both but I know I'll lose if I appear weak right now.

They both do and I blink a few times before I register the fact that I just took prisoners. My joy is however short lived as I hear the snarl of the pirate King.

"Another blade!" I hear his sword snap and clatter on the deck and roar out my own counter offer.

"Or drop your weapons and I'll let you live." I'm still standing near the two dead bodies and it only emphasizes my rage. "Keep them and Coppernicus gets to eat all of you that he wants once he's finished with the wyvern." I have no idea if he actually eats people but it makes a lot of weapons drop when the wyvern's body splashes down into the Summer Sea.

"Cowards!" The captain roars at his crew but it doesn't sway them in the slightest. "I'll send you all to the Drowned God once I'm finished with this pretender!"

He and Viserys dance around the mast and I smirk as the crazed pirate hasn't yet realized how much of it has been hacked through already. "Moqorro, give me a weapon!"

"I said this is where the Prince would face his battle against the pretender and return to Westeros with his dragon." A large dark skinned man with snow white hair and crimson robes denies the captain.

He has tattoos all over his body and they glitter like rubies under the sun anywhere his open robes do not cover. "I never promised it would be you Victarion."

"You traitor!" He swings for Viserys and his ax slams into the mast with a echoing snap as it begins to fall. "I'll pull your entrails out your eye socke-" His gruesome threat is ended when the falling wood crushes him between it and the blood soaked deck.

The man named Moqorro bows to Viserys and I in turn before speaking again. "The Basilisk fleet is yours my Prince, just raise this sail on your own ship." He removes the outer layer of his robes and reveals it to be a carefully folded sail.

It's the same as Visery's original sigil only with red instead of blue and the tarnished green of Coppernicus' scales instead of the orange copper. The Dragon's body shape has also been correctly altered to reflect the unique body shape of Coppernicus.

"Those who wish to live will deal with the idiots." Moqorro smiles as he hands Viserys the sail. "Once you're done here on Naath, I can show you where your niece is. It looks like she could really use some help."



Notes: Should be doing one a day again and this is my new size goal, 3k-4k words.​

 

[ATP]

Robb would not be magically saved - good.Jenny is helping wildlings against Others,Sansa now must do something to persuade her parents,that she is not mad.
Margery saved her prince.And Mogorro knew how save himself.Especially,if he really could lead them to Rhaenys.
Wyverns - would be useful,but not for winning battles.Unless they could be used as mounts,then some kind of aerial calvary....

 

[Flightless Man]

Robb would not be magically saved - good.

Jenny is helping wildlings against Others

,Sansa now must do something to persuade her parents,that she is not mad.

Margery saved her prince

.And Mogorro knew how save himself.Especially,if he really could lead them to Rhaenys.

Wyverns - would be useful,but not for winning battles.Unless they could be used as mounts,then some kind of aerial calvary....

Click to shrink...

I was setting Robb's fate all the way back when I called the Coyote White-eyes.

She might be a prisoner of Mance/Theon.

Sansa might just need to convince someone with a dragon to give her a ride.

I needed Garlan to have a warrior wife, so MArgaery would be allowed to train.

Moqorro was always my favorite Red Priest.

The Last wyvern is being dealt with by the crew of the Celebration and only had them as a practice dragon battle, so Coppernicus has experience and the other ones don't.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 22: Do I Have To Handle Everything?
Jennelyn Baratheon
​

In my horror, Edriggon flies us to his normal hunting grounds on the Bay of Seals. Right where the Haunted Forest ends and Storrold's Point juts North into the Shivering Sea, hundreds of spotted seals line the rocky shore.

As our shadow washes over the animals below, they begin bleating in fear in a mad dash for the water. They may have learned to fear us but Edrigon has learned to make his catch before they can escape.

A line of searing yellow fire roars along the black round pebbles that make up the beach, cooking a few dozen seals before we even land. He lets out a chirping shriek of triumph that makes me forgot Robb's death for a few seconds.

"Go ahead. The longer it takes you to eat, the more time I have to calm down." My words are all the encouragement he needs. As soon as I slide off his back, he pounces on the smoking meat with a frenzy that makes me snort.

The smell of charred flesh just brings me right back to the Dragon's Den, the agonized screams of Sansa drowning out everything else. How can I even begin to apologize for what happened?

Even if the Starks can somehow forgive me, Aunt Cersei will think it was an attempt on Joffrey's life. Why did they bring him to the Den?

Mother told me she was forced to marry my father and her running away is what brought war to the Realm. Am I just repeating her mistakes?

She said I never had to marry a man unless I chose to but I still have absolutely no interest in it. Dany and I were going to explore Sothoryos together and now she's all lovey dovie with Joffrey. What happened to the throne being cursed?

Voices in the woods make me growl at first before I slowly realize this might be the answer I need. Wildlings aren't supposed to care who someone lays with. Maybe it's time for a Queen beyond the Wall.

Mance Rayder has already done the hard part for me and gotten most of them in one place. I just need to find them and steal his Kingdom. Shouldn't be that hard with a dragon.

First I need to deal with this pair of unlucky wildlings. "Can you give me a nice scary roar Ed? We have visitors who need to learn who's in charge now."

He looks up from his feast and whines under my firm stare before he finally does as asked. The roar is loud enough to send birds flying as far as I can see and it almost looks like the leaves are flying into the sky.

"What the fuck was that?" A terrified man yells out in response and I can tell he isn't yet twenty by the way his voice cracks.

I can't hear his companions response and soon his yells quite down as well. She seems to have more sense in her head and speaks in whispers as soon as the roar announces our presence.

"Come out and see." My response is filled with a lot more confidence than I actually feel. "You really don't want a hungry Edriggon looking for you."

The two converse on the edge of the treeline with only frantic arm gestures for me to interpret. As far as I can tell the boy seems to be a coward and is desperately trying to convince his companion to flee.

He's clearly a coward and an idiot, makes it kind of obvious which one is really in charge. She eventually manages to convince him how futile fleeing from a dragon is. The Wildlings don't settle within sight of Skagos anymore for a reason.

"We have your word that you'll let us live if we do?" The girl calls out for the pair and I realize her companion has a bow trained on me.

"You have a better chance than if that arrow comes my way." The bow lowers only once she gives the okay but doesn't go away, which only confirms to me she's the one in charge.

I think this is proof I'm making the right choice. Wildlings let women lead them if they prove they have worth and I know I have that. Why else would Joffrey have come to view me like a broodmare.

"What are my prisoners' names?" My inner confidence is slowly catching up to the bravado in my voice.

The two emerge from the forest with cautious steps and I wonder if they're siblings. The girl is about five and ten with him only a year or two older based on his lack of facial hair that all wildlings relish. Both have red hair though hers is a far brighter shade, he instead has a more muddy red like river clay.

"Ygritte." The girl answers proudly and with only defiance in her green eyes.

The one I assume is her brother hesitates and it's only her snarled words that make him speak. "Theon."

"The Ironborn part not important now?" Ygritte offers more information that I eagerly swallow up. "You seemed oh so proud of that when you stole me." Anything could be the difference between life and death among these savages. "Though since we've both been taken before you enjoyed your spoils… it looks like we both got ourselves a new wife."

"What are you talking about?" Snarls a shocked Theon while I watch the haggard pair approach in snow covered furs.

"It's how we do things," Ygritte is first to reach me and she gives Edriggon a very wary look. "The strong take and the stronger keep. Don't think we'll be finding many stronger than her."

The explanation only enrages Theon and he makes this known with furious yelling. "I'm not some salt-wife!"

"And I'm not stealing anyone, I just need some questions answered." If Mance is going to attack, I have to go back and warn everyone. "What are you doing so close to the shore?"

"Was heading for Hardhome before this idiot caught me." Answers a smirking Ygritte as she tries to secure her place as favored prisoner. "The Crow decided to abandon his vows and come home with me once he saw what was coming."

I find it hard to believe such a young man could be a member of the Night's Watch but the last part of Ygritte's sentence is what really stands out. "What's coming?"

Was Theon just scared off by how many wildlings Mance Rayder gathered? Theon didn't seem too freaked out by the sight of a dragon… is something even worse hiding in the ice?

"Some kind of man… thing." Theon answers even as the confident Ygritte goes pale as she gets lost in memories. "It controls the storms and snow but that's not even the worst part." He locks eyes with me and I can feel his raw terror wash over me. "It controls the dead like a girl playing with her dolls!"

What? How is that even possible? Do they mean like how Rhaella was supposedly revived by the Red Woman?

"It's not alone." Ygritte finally speaks with a trembling voice nothing like her earlier confidence. "At least seventeen of the Others have been seen. With two sightings being too unclear to distinguish the one commanding the dead."

"Nineteen of those things!" Roars Theon in horror as the wind begins picking up, sending flakes of snow falling down in ever greater frequency. "How the hell have any of you survived this long?"

I guess that does make him sound as new here as I am. Maybe Theon really is a ranger. As long as he's useful I'll just pretend to forget that part. I really don't want Ed getting used to eating human meat, I've spent years training him to like seal.

"Same way we've survived against you Crows for the last three thousand years." But the maesters say the Wall is eight thousand years old. "By being stronger than the ones who died." Or does she just mean that's how long her clan has been fighting?

"That doesn't answer anything though!" Snarls Theon as he gets right in Ygritte's face. "It's like saying you swam across the sea by not drowning."

"That would be how I would do it." Agrees the girl with her cockiness returning. If all the girls are as free as Ygritte seems to be… I don't think I'm ever going home.

As the snowfall increases, soon I can barely make out the trees only a few hundred yards away. "How far away is Hardhome?"

I thought it was only a ruin but we need shelter before Ed is lost in the storm. Even the screaming caverns will be enough right now.

"They found us!" The panic in Theon's voice isn't countered and soon inhuman shrieking is the only thing I can hear over the howling wind.

The Ironborn begins to run northeast, dragging Ygritte with him by the rope around her waist. I know Ed can't take off in this kind of weather and we're going to be facing whatever horrors are coming.

"Don't run too far, I'll be looking for you once the storm is over!" And with fresh powder it will be easy for even me to find you two.

I can barely see twenty feet in front of me but something on the wind has Edriggon snarling. He starts to spit out streak of golden fire into the blizzard, leaving momentary windows that I can see through.

It's impossible to make out exact numbers though at least thirty shrieking bodies are charging towards us. The ones hit by Ed's flames don't make their companions even flinch and it's all I can do to swallow my panic.

Even if this is the fate I deserve for kin slaying, I will not shame my father by going out with a clean weapon. Gendry might use Viserys' morning star but I prefer the far more predictable mace myself. When Dacey Mormont comes to visit mother she makes sure I'm at an acceptable level for a Baratheon.

I grab the ivory tusk handle and bring the disc shaped bringer of pain into a ready position. "Demons of the Haunted Forest will be a nice legend to go out on. So let's do Father proud Ed."

With a roar I listen for the crunching of snow and swing to my left, smashing right through the rib cage of a half rotted man when he leaps for me. It doesn't stop his snarling so I swing a second time for his forehead, leaving his body finally motionless on the snow.

His friends don't let me celebrate or even catch my breath for a moment. One after another I'm attacked by bodies in various states of decay, all of them with glowing blue eyes that unnerve me despite my fury.

None of them fight with any skill and he quickly deepening snow does more to help me once I grow used to my lack of vision. It's slowed the swarm down to an almost manageable pace that I can so far deal with one at a time.

I start to get cocky when over a dozen shattered bodies lay at my feet and thrice that many smolder in the snow. Since others are the ones who pay for my mistakes, it's not me who suffers for my lack of attention.

If I had paid more attention, the ring of calmness in the storm would have been easy to see. Ed might even have noticed the pale blue man with a beard of purest silver. His armor looks like a suit of full plate carved from the purest ice, with only his open visor showing a glimpse of his true form.

The Other has an expression of rage one his face as he roars threats at the two of us. I can't understand a single thing being said and can only make out the sound of ice cracking each time he opens his mouth.

In his hand is a spear of pale blue ice and it's only after Edrigon shrieks in pain that I realize how dangerous they really are. I glance back at my dragon and see a gaping hole in one of his wings, a several inch layer of frost spreading a few feet away from it and tearing even more membrane.

My roar of grief is mixed with Ed's howl of pain but I only use the rage to send me racing forward. "My fury is coming for you!"

Instead of cowering like I'm told men did in the face of my father's rage, the Other watches my charge with a growing smirk. He draws a short blade of polished ice that I can barely even see in this weather and settles into a defensive stance.

He darts away from my wild swings and I can immediately tell I'm being toyed with. Not even Duncan could face this thing as an equal. It's stronger than Lord Sandor and faster than Ser Bronn, I'm going to die as soon as this thing gets bored of me.

It doesn't break me like I had assumed imminent death would and instead focuses my fury into a single blunt edge that I relentlessly swing away with. None of my blows connect with the Other but it stops looking at me with scorn. A hint of pity flickers in his pale blue eyes right as he decides to stop dancing away from me.

Our weapons meet and in that moment of contact my mace freezes. The momentum of my swing causes the metal to shatter into countless shards of steel and pepper my arms with the shrapnel.

I can barely feel the pain as I hold up my frost bitten hands and fall onto my knees in shock. How was that possible?

My foe speaks one more time with that same crackling voice that sounds more like eerie music than actual words. His sword is held above me and it looks like he's giving me his respect but I can only focus on the sparkling edge coming for me.

I miss the impact but hear the Other let out a gasp of pained surprise making me glance back to him. An arrow shaft is sticking out a few inches from where a heart would be in a man, somehow piercing right through the impressive looking ice armor.

Cracks begin spiraling outwards from the arrow and a look of agony crosses the creatures face. The death wail he releases chills me to the bone and forces me to cover my ears with my blue hands.

In a single instant the armor and Other both explode in a shower of glittering ice that signals the death of the blizzard. When the snow stops falling it reveals a ring of over thirty dead bodies still in the snow around me. Did they all die… again when the Other did?

"Did you see that?" Theon's voice is shockingly welcome as I take in what just happened. "They can die just like anyone!"


…

​

Tyrion Lannister
​

When the Island of Naath comes into view, I breath out a heavy sigh of relief. The Summer Isle fleet is still here, I'm not too late!

I'm surprised by how many of the pirates ships have been spared but I see very little activity on them. Maybe two thousand of them are visible on less than a hundred ships as my helmsman Aurane Waters steers us between the now combined fleet.

That's barely enough people to crew half the fleet, how are they getting the pirates away from Naath? Or is Viserys just going to leave them stranded here at the mercy of the locals?

"Which one is the Celebration?" Gerion frowns at my question and slowly points to a Long-cog with a red and green sail. The creature on the sigil looks kind of like the flying squirrels in the Stepstones but in the same design I remember Viserys' being in.

"That's his ship but not any sail I recognize. He must have had his new wife's family design it for him." My uncle scowls in annoyance at how the Tyrells managed to get their hooks into my friend. "Only way they could have such a good outline of Coppernicus is if Viserys sent them some of Creb's sketches."

"You really had no idea he was working with them?" I snort at his obliviousness and grin at Gerold's laughter. Only to be admonished harshly when Gerion doesn't accept my tone like he did when I was younger.

"Did you really spend five years doing nothing but whine about how unfair the world is?"

With a smirk directed down at me, Gerold answers in my place. "Well he actually got his islands to produce legitimate gold for the first time in a century." Thank you! "But he does waste a lot of it on wine and whores."

"See if I pay for either anymore." My growl only make my Uncle sigh in shame.

"What happened to you Tyrion?"

Well that's easy. You left and I only had Father's approval to seek out anymore. Jaime won't return my ravens unless I ask if now is a finally a good time to visit. Each one of those got a firm 'no'.

"Rage fades a whole lot faster than shame I guess." It's all I have to say but it seems to be enough for my uncle who finally gives me a genuine smile.

The 'Sea Lion' pulls up to one of the few docks not turned into debris and the three of us disembark while the crew ties the galley off. The sight of the dragon leaves me speechless as we approach a man with jet black hair from behind as he speaks to some locals.

Beside him is one person I bitterly recognize and his sister. Garlan may have lied about removing my brother's hand but he still needs to be paid back for taking Uncle Tygett captive.

After a brief glance at the people, I let my childish glee overwhelm me. The dragon is gorgeous, if very little like the records say. Did Viserys hatch something else he's just calling a dragon, or does the species have far greater variety than even the tales of ice and sea breeds claim?

"I brought your damn cornstarch, better be worth all the hassle of tracking you down." Gerion calls out and gets the black haired man to turn around.

It takes a few moments for me to do more than find a vague resemble in the incredibly tanned man's face but he has no such issue. A wide smile nearly splits his face in half as he reveals teeth far whiter than I'm used to seeing in the Stepstones.

"How did you find me Tyrion?" He doesn't seem angry or injured beyond some old white scares on one of his arms. But his casualness only makes me angry.

"What in the Seven Hells are you doing in the Summer Isles? Everyone who cares about you, thinks you died years ago!" Viserys frowns and bows his head slightly, encouraging me to continue which I eagerly do.

"Rhaenys is missing and you could have been looking for her this whole damned time!" Spit flies from my mouth with each rage filled word as I raise a shaking finger to his face. "What kind of uncle are you?"

When my rant is over Viserys cross his arms and scowls down at me with an angry face of his own. "The kind who thought his friends could look after his family. I trusted you to look after Rhaenys and it's only now you decide to look for her?"

I wasn't expecting such a cold ferocity from the man I remembered being so quiet as children. "I… uh."

Garlan Tyrell gives me a look of pity and takes over explaining the things it seems never got told to Viserys. His expressions flicker rapidly through nearly every emotion imaginable but in the end settle on disappointed betrayal.

"I gave you every chance to make something of yourself and you couldn't hold on to either of them?" Viserys rants down at me and I feel my face go red with shame.

"It wasn't an either or kind of deal," I try to defend myself but only get rolled eyes in response. "I'm not special as much as I wish I was… not like you and Jaime." People actually remember your songs for more than a year.

Viserys gives me a hard look at that response. "Do you expect everything in life to just be handed to you? Why would I trust my niece with you again, if I'm the one saving her?"

"I'll carve her captor's heart out myself," The snarl I let out finally gets a very small grin from Viserys.

"Good. I like you, but I love my family." His words conceal a threat of very painful death. "We better find Rhaenys alive and well."
​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 23: Can You Outrun Prophecy?
Theon Greyjoy
​

When I hear the dragon rider's roar of defiance I feel something inside me burn with shame. I'm leaving a girl to die just to buy me a few more seconds.

No. I draw my knife and slash through the rope binding me to Ygritte. "Go!"

She doesn't give me more than a look of impressed shock and a nod as she vanishes into the snow. I swore oaths to protect the realms of men and right now I'm the only ranger here.

Readying my bow with a prayer for my foes to be slow, I return to the eye of the storm with a thundering heart. My arrows do nothing to the dead but I don't think anyone has ever had this clear a shot on one of these things.

He's toying with the girl and I have to admit she could give me a good work out. Not sure I could even win against that fury without some broken bones to show for it.

When the dragon roars in pain I make my first shot at the leader of the dead, only for the raging wind to send it flying away uselessly. Shit.

I go through most of my quiver as I barely manage to keep the panic at bay in the face of certain death.
The dead form a ring around the combatants and make sure the rather large girl can't reach her dragon.

"What is dead may never die." Muttering under my breath keeps me focused and I wait once I reach my final dragonglass arrow. "Only rise again stronger." I hope that wasn't a warning all along, because I never listened to the Drowned Priests.

When the mace shatters in the girls hand and she falls to her knees before the being, I notice the storm dies down just enough. When he raises his glittering blade above her, I release the bow string.

My final arrow doesn't shatter against the azure armor like I know it would against even simple bronze. It pierces right through the ice into the almost human thing and steam hisses out from the cracked opening.

The blizzard ends almost instantly and only the chilling sound of the Other's final shriek fills the air. I hear myself make a witty remark as I cross the ring of now motionless bodies, but I have no idea what the words are in hindsight.

The massive yellow lizard doesn't seem concerned by my approach of the girl, far to concerned with licking at it's injured wing. I have no idea how to begin treating such a creature even if it would let me near, but I can deal with frostbite like any self respecting ranger.

"That was kind of incredible," I admit with a heavy amount of respect in my voice when the dark haired girl finally notices me. "I don't feel nearly as bad about getting captured by you now."

"You escaped fair and square." Her hands are shaking and I wince at the bits of metal in them. "I'd say we're even after you decided to come back for me."

It's not like I actually had anything to run away to. "Even enough for you to give me your name?" Calling you girl in my head is getting annoying.

"… Jennelyn Baratheon." I finally get an answer when I begin helping her over to the yellow beast.

"The Princess of Skagos?" What in the hell are you doing here all alone?

And when did dragons become a thing again… isn't that kind of something everyone should have known about? The Wall's not that far behind the gossip of the North.

She grins despite the agony I know she must be facing right now and I realize how young she really is. Though she's bigger and far better trained than I was on my only raid.

"One and the same." Her smirk doesn't last long as she finally gets a chance to examine her dragon. "You're being really tough Ed, I'm proud of you."

She notices my expression and sighs. "I named him after my brother. He just never seemed to get out of the baby personality and is definitely the runt out of his siblings." I know the feeling.

I take the branches Ygritte and I had been collecting earlier from the sack I liberated, laying them all down except for one. "Can you ask him to light this for me? We need to warm your hands up slowly or you'll lose those fingers."

"Ed." The princess calls over to the dragon warmly, making him look up mid lick. "We need a little bit of fire okay, so just like we've been practicing. Kindle!"

The command has more emphasis than the rest of her words and soon a wrist sized stream of golden fire barely hits the end of my branch. Once it's lit I use it to get a small campfire going, letting Jennelyn begin warming her hands over it.

"Don't warm them to fast or it will really hurt and only do long term damage." Taking one of her hands in my own, I begin carefully pulling out the pieces of her weapon.

"What are those things?" Her gaze isn't terrified like I would have expected from an eleven year old, instead they're filled with a fury that even draws me in.

"Not human." It's all anyone seems to know, beyond the whole wanting to kill everyone bit. "And they really don't seem to like us being alive."

She doesn't flinch until I'm almost done with the second hand and I'm relieved by the color returning to them. Keeping her alive and with both of her hands working will be enough to explain my change of dress. If I do end up going back to the Wall, I'll just say I was going to infiltrate Mance's forces to avoid the headsman's block.

"Almost done and I'm impressed again." I get a dark scowl from her as she assumes I'm only being condescending. "No, I really mean it. Half of my brothers would have been whining up a storm bigger than the ones the Others' make."

"They control the weather too!" The yell is so loud I'm left with ringing in my ear for a few seconds.

"At least the bad parts of it. Because the storm ended the moment that thing died." I let the pride of my accomplishment wash over and wish that bastard Cotter was here to witness it.

I leave her beside the fire, huddled under the dragon's one good wing. The butter yellow membrane is almost see through and I'm stuck with a thought. Why is it so hard to shoot one out of the sky?

If I assume only the best archers can even reach the beasts in mid flight, wouldn't they have all been trained the same as I was. It's second nature for me to aim for the head of chest and I'm guessing the scales on the body will keep anything but a perfect shot from penetrating.

Anyone capable of hitting the dragons is probably aiming for the wrong spots. If I didn't have such a close up view of one and firsthand knowledge of how easily that spear torn through the wing, I never would have considered it. Broad head arrows with heavy serration would tear gaping holes in that thing webbing.

Once I have enough wood to last the night, I start rolling large balls of snow into a half circle. Using them as a wind break from the icy winds from the sea, I fill the gaps between them with tightly packed powder.

"You still alive?" If she died the dragon's reaction would have been a give away, he's been hovering over her the whole time.

"Can't steal Mance's Kingdom if I die, can I?" Her question makes me gape like a fish for a few seconds. That's why she's here!

"Not so sure about that anymore." I've been seeing far too many dead bodies trying to kill me the last few days.

We share an uncomfortable laugh as I rejoin her by the fire, her dragon's tail blocking off the place I just walked over. "Where did Ygritte go?"

"I cut her free when I came back for you." I shrug with a lack of concern. "She's probably halfway to Hardhome by now."

"Well Ed's nott going to be able to fly for a while, so you might want to drag the seals above high tide." I'd seen the five or six bodies not yet reduced to bits of broken bone and groan at having to face to cold again so soon.

"Fine. But I'll need your help looking for my arrows in a few arrows. Sun's going to be high enough in a few hours that we may find a couple." Whoever has been sending regular shipments of Dragonglass to the Wall really needs to be found, because the Watch had no idea it was anything but free weapons.


…

​

Viserys Ashtar
​

Once I get a circle dug out on the beach and it begins to fill in with seawater, I give the signal for a few barrels of cornstarch to be stirred in with oars. It soon is a couple feet deep, about ten across, and filled with a gummy white paste.

When the rowers finish the semi solid fluid seizes up and holds the oars firmly in place. The crowd of Naathians, Reachmen, Tyrion's crew, the Summer Islanders, and even the less morally repulsive pirates I allowed to live, all watch in shock as slowly the ooze begins flowing like water once again.

I run barefoot onto the oobleck and hold in my laughter as the tension returns each time I make contact with the substance. Gerion's eyes make the whole thing worth it and the excited children's cries only make it even better.

"I told you corn was magic," My voice is definitely more than a tad smug as I begin a very mediocre tap dance. "Now who wants to dance?"

My offer is met by very little resistance and soon the artificial pond is a little too crowded for my liking. More than a few people start to freak out when they begin sinking into the ooze but are fine once I yell at them to keep moving.

"I didn't think magic would be so easy or I would have learned years ago." Tyrion gasps when gets brave enough to pull a piece of goo away from the larger mass, bouncing his newly made ball back and forth between his palms. "You learned all of the in Valyria I assume."

His question is rhetorical so I merely smile and nod down at my friend, the tension of our reunion nearly gone with his promise to find Rhaenys with me. Gerion will be going back to the Stepstones to rule in his nephew's stead, leaving me now in charge of far more people than I would like.

Once Moqorro begin calling me the Prince who was Promised and Thoros confirmed I had indeed been reborn amid salt and smoke, it seems my decision to reject the crown backfired. The prophecy does speak of a prince and I've spent my whole life insisting I'm no King.

Damnit! This is as much my fault as it is the two hotheads'.

A little less than eighteen hundred pirates, a couple thousand Naathians who seem to think I'm going to recover the family members taken over the years, and over half the Summer Island fleet are refusing to leave my service.

I was only supposed to be sailing with the Celebration and maybe the Tyrell ships if I can't get Garlan to go home. Margaery has earned my respect and gratitude though… she can take the long way home with me if she really wants to. It'll keep Olenna from messing with my new friend's life for a while.

"So I'm guessing the tourney in Oldtown isn't being throne just for the third of Garlan's children." Tyrion looks up at me with mismatched eyes and his face screwed into a rather ugly scowl. "It's where your return was going to be announced… right after the wedding to the lovely Margaery if I'm to guess?"

"What are you talking about?" Margaery doesn't seem bothered by the excuse I used to escape the Summer Throne though this seems to be something else I've not thought all the way through. People talk and I have horrible short term memory!

"Oh that?" I almost forgot about my excuse but it seems no one else realized it was one.

The scowl on Tyrion's face deepens until it can even be called a sneer. "Yes… that."

"Didn't mean anything, I just needed a way to avoid marrying one of the Princesses." He blinks a few times and looks over his shoulder at the Tyrell siblings having a grand old time dancing with the children now that most of the adults have moved on to drinking. "Here, I'll prove it."

I drag him onto the ooze and make sure Tyrion moves his feet fast enough. When we reach the red faced siblings, Tyrion has wormed his hand free from my own and is moving even easier than I am.

"You know that whole getting married thing didn't mean anything, right?" She just nods casually and lets go of the curly haired girl she's dancing with.

"I do remember you saying I'm not your type." Her words shock me because for as much as I hate the Tyrells, she is a stunning beauty rivaled by few I have seen. "Not something a girl really likes hearing you know."

"… You're not?" The real Rose that gets my temper flaring goes pale. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Garlan's sister narrows her gaze and growls at him. "Because he told us to play along with him."

"I thought he just wanted us to play some more of his strange games." I can hear Lord Tyrell's gulp even over the commotion of the children.

"Is that why you keep asking me to play one every spare minute we have?" Annoyed realization settles in Viserys' eyes.

Margaery seems to realize something more in her brother's words and gets right in his face. "What did you do?"

"I sent the ship with the injured back with a message for Grandmother." Winces Garlan as he explains his own screw up. "I told her to stop trying to plan your life out for her, you found someone we could all approve of."

"But I don't approve." She scowls at her brother's continued wrongness. "He's nice to look at sure, but he's kind of a whore. I saw way too many kids running around with his eyes."

"I don't know if it's cause all the stories say Viserys is incredible…" Her eyes roam up and down my body with a distinct lack of awe. "But I've yet to see anything that special." Kind of refreshing after everyone expecting we to handle everything.

Holding up a hand I make sure to clarify that statement. "They aren't my kids, they got conceived during the wrong festivals for them to be mine." Of course if any of them seek me out when they grow, I'll make sure they are well cared for.

"So does this mean you haven't been plotting together for years?" Grumbles Tyrion as we make our way off the oobleck.

"Only people I'm plotting with knew better than to tell anyone where I was." Or so I once thought… someone from Westeros knew my original sigil well enough to mark the lanterns.

"Who are you plotting with?" Tyrion interrupts with a frown.

No reason to keep it a secret anymore and I guess it's about time to come clean on the whole killing my father thing. If that doesn't convince everyone I'm a horrible choice for taking the crown, I'm all out of ideas.

"I've been teaching Maester Marwyn and some of his fellows some 'magic'." Giving them repeatable feats that rely on the unseen sciences was enough for them to stop dismissing all magic out of hand. "And the ones who went back without me have been encouraging people to join the Night's Watch. I've been sending them supplies each year in thanks for holding the line."

"Against those savage wildlings?" Tyrion seems quite unimpressed with the freefolk as an army. "Do they really scare you so much?" Not like they every really had success in organized battle. Skirmishing is what they're best at, not pitched battles against cavalry or sieges.

"It's not the freefolk who scare me." I don't say anymore and try letting my grim tone end the conversation.

That doesn't seem to satisfy anyone though, least of all Tyrion. "I've spent days hearing of the adventures you and my uncle has had in Valyria. Even tales of the first trip somehow managed to reach my ears."

"So I find it hard to believe anything can scare you." Tyrion's voice is rising as he works himself into a frenzy. "You rode a dragon into a volcano… you don't know what normal is anymore Viserys."

"I don't think he ever did." Adds Garlan while the two exchange awkward glances I don't fully understand. "We did meet at the wedding he arranged for his own mother."

Margargary is the one who stays focused and asks me again with a lonely raised eyebrow. "So what is the Wall really for?"

"One thing at a time, I'm not getting distracted and forgetting about Rhaenys now." Not like anyone will believe me right now anyway. I'll just have to go visit Uncle Aemon when I get back and conveniently fly out and capture a wighted anything.


​

 

[ATP]

Dragons are not ultimate weapons against Others - good.
Theon impessed his girlfriend - even better.
Tyrion do not impress Viserys - logical
Margery is impressed with Viserys - also logical.

 

[Flightless Man]

Dragons are not ultimate weapons against Others - good.
Theon impessed his girlfriend - even better.
Tyrion do not impress Viserys - logical
Margery is impressed with Viserys - also logical.

Click to shrink...

Since the Empire of the Dawn comes before the Long Night in canon, and I gave the EotD Lung Dragons in this fic, Others come after dragons and would be the ultimate weapon against them.

He might get to keep his manhood.

Tyrion has so much potential and he squanders it blaming everyone else instead of making his own way. I'm hoping Gerion and Viserys both yelling at him will make him do something beside drink.

Well she is, but she definitly has reservations. She more sees him as a really hot friend. Viserys really didn't give an impression of being faithful.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 24: Twisted Truths And Promises Made
Joffrey Baratheon
​

After four days of everyone treating me even more gently than the burn victim, only Daenerys is tolerable company. Gendry and his sister have been thankfully filling Sansa's room with the Reed heir, leaving the two of us able to plan our trip in relative peace.

"But Lord Baelish said they also saw a dragon in the Summer Isles." Arya climbs out from one of the unicorn stalls, completely fine with being caught eavesdropping. "Why are you going right to the Sorrows? Viserys never even made it that far."

She brings up a good point and knows it, grinning at us with her freshly shaven head on proud display. Arya's young enough it will grow back before anyone really cares and it made Sansa feel a whole lot better about being bald.

"It's closer to Valyria than the Summer Islands," Counters Daenerys with an indulgent smile. "We already considered that."

Arya shakes her head smugly as she brings up something we actually hadn't thought of. "But didn't his crew get found by Gerion Lannister halfway back to Westeros? Doesn't that put him a lot closer to the Isles?"

"… Yes." I share a look with Dany and hope I have the shock in my voice is hidden better than her facial expression is managing. "That would definitely change things." We'll need to talk to Baelish again and get proper directions, that's a lot of water to get lost over.

"Why aren't you keeping Sansa company?" Arya frowns at Dany's words and kicks some hay angrily. "Isn't that why I brought you back with me?"

"She asked me to come find you but…" She looks embarrassed as she admits to why she was hiding in here. "It looked like you were sneaking off to kiss and I wanted to scare you both first. But this is so much better, you're going on an adventure!"

Shoving a hand over her mouth, I give her a firm glare until she stops bouncing on his heels. "We aren't going anywhere if you give us away."

"Sorry."

Rolling my eyes at her mumbled reply, I do remove my hand. "Just don't tell anyone until after we leave."

Her nod is convincing enough for me to sigh in relief and we follow her back to the keep before anyone else notices our absence. Benjen steps aside when we reach the door to Sansa's room, hushed whispers only loud enough to make out every tenth word.

I always wondered why he was a still a member of Father's king's guard but assigned to Skagos his whole reign. Did he know about the dragons and just agreed to them hiding out here? Or did the Starks hide this from him too?

I don't think they planned on taking over the Realm for themselves, so is that why I was sent up here? Did Mother know or is this all just horrible luck?

"Feeling better Prince Joffrey?" The expression on Benjen's face is tight with thick dark rings under his eyes. "Good. He do more than sulk today?" His glance at my own protector makes me blush pink and it only deepens to crimson when Ser Hugo gives a noncommittal shrug.

"He keeps disappearing with the Princess," The Riverlander knight shares a look of remembrance with his fellow whitecloak. "He's really starting to remind me of his uncle with this new attitude of his." Father."

I suffer the teasing with gritted teeth and discover why Father ground his so much. It really does help stop me from having an outburst.

"Can we go in now?" I'd rather deal with trying not to stare at Sansa's face than anymore of this. "We are expected."

"As long as you don't get her all riled up." With a wink Benjen finally knocks and announces our presence, letting the three of us inside once Sansa gives her consent.

The room bright and sunny, with plenty of hyssop blossoms adding a pleasant smell that conceals the smell of sweat nicely. Arya shoves her way past me and steals the only free chair beside Bella before I even have a chance to think of it.

"Finally found them," Grunts the eight year old Stark as I do my best not to stare at her sister. "Now will you finally tell me?"

"Do you promise to keep it a secret?" Sansa's counter offer is tense with uncertainty and I find myself growing intrigued.

Arya rolls her eyes and groans, but does eventually promise to keep the secret. It takes so long in fact that Dany and I aren't forced to make the same promise, with Sansa so distracted with annoyance.

"I need your help." Sansa doesn't beg Dany bu it's a close thing with the desperation in her voice. "But you'll never believe me if I tell you why."

Well it looks like once again I was only invited because of who I was with. They never would have asked me to come up here if I was alone.

When she asks Dany to fly her North beyond the Wall, my eyes go wide in shock. And when Sansa asks to be left at some bloody tree, I assume the girl must be delirious.

"Why can't Bella fly you?" Careful not to reveal our own plan, Dany turns to the other girl with a dragon.

"Roberta hates the cold." My cousin's response is simple but firm. "She already wants to go home… even though I have no idea where that's going to be with her two big for the swamp now."

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" I know some Northmen do that during harsh winters but Sansa can still find a good husband. "Because wouldn't it be easier to simply throw yourself into the sea?" Gendry would even be an acceptable match for her now that she's crippled.

When Sansa turns her milky white eyes on me, it feels like she can see something none of us can. Fear slowly creeps into all of us as the blind Stark just shakes her head sadly.

"Jennelyn needs help." And how do you know that? "The Wildlings have her and Eddrigon prisoner."

"That's stupid Sansa, you just had a nightmare." Snorts Arya as she begins to laugh, only for a grim faced Jojen to join the conversation.

"Dreams saved the Targaryen's from one Doom," Jojen explains with eyes that look old. "The dream Sansa has had is all we have to prevent the next one. Mine are no where near as clear as hers, it took nearly a year for me to understand I was needed here."

No one answers for a few seconds and I use the time to examine the boy more closely. He doesn't seem crazy and I'm forced to consider the Citadel is now training wizards. If dragons can be real and dead woman walk again, why can't dreams of the future be just as true?

"Why do you need to stay though?" Arya voices a concern I had overlooked and it seems based on everyone's expressions, they have as well. "Can't Dany just go save Jenn by herself?"

"No!" Barks the Sansa before she blushes scarlet. "I mean, I need to go North. I told you it was unbelievable."

"I already caused the death of one Stark…" Dany is near tears but manages to keep her words coherent. "I can't just leave you to die in the snow."

When I realize she's going to dash out of the room, I follow just as Daenerys is halfway down the hall. I dart right past the two gossiping knights and dash after my only real friend here.

"Dany, wait!" She's faster than I am and I've already lost her.

I end up running through the keep several times before I even consider outside and I nearly smack myself when I do. She better not leave without me!

To my frustration I do find her at the bonfire with the two dragons, but to my relief she's been stalled. Lord Baelish, Ser Bronn, and the girl Tasha are all between her and the dragons, desperately trying to get answers from the princess.

"What's wrong Daenerys?" Even in the middle of the chaos, Lord Baelish remains perfectly calm. "You kno-"

"Where is he?" She cuts him off with a savage snarl, her finger stabbing at his chin like a talon. "And no more tricks. Where is my brother?"

The Master of Truth tries to deflect with his usual charm, but it just doesn't seem to be enough this time. "I already told you-"

"Where dragons have been seen, I know." Dany hisses and her agitation spreads to the powder blue Viserion. I wonder if mother will at least name Orys' dragon after Shireen? "But I want to know where you think he is."

"I haven't been able to confirm this with a second source…" With a sigh Lord Baelish leans in close when he sees my arrival. "But Tasha here is one of my agents and she has a sister in Oldtown."

That news freaks Daenerys out and it takes me a moment to remember how long she's known Tasha."You're a spy!" Since she lived at Riverrun I believe. Was she always a spy for someone?

"My oldest sister was tortured during the Insurrection and my father killed." With absolutely no guilt in her voice, Tasha leans casually against a rapidly blinking Bronn. "I was never going to hurt anyone here, but we needed to know if any of you would give us another chance."

"No one has been hurt?" I interupt and hope my meager authority is recognized.

Tasha gives me a hard look and now I know why her eyes held such hate the first few days. She only began smiling at me once my secret spilled. The drunkard may have been hung for his 'slander' but the words had been heard by many that night.

"And no one here was ever going to be," She promises me with what actually sounds like honesty.

"You tell us what we want to know and if it somehow leads us to Viserys, we'll both forget what we just learned."

She considers this for nearly a full twenty seconds before finally nodding slowly. "Fine. My sister was sponsored by the Tyrells for a spot in the Citadel, learning from the wizards."

"He's learning magic at the Citadel?" Dany growls at the idea of him being so close.

"No." The spy shakes her head quickly and clarifies. "He's teaching them somehow but he's not in Oldtown. My sister only said Lord Tyrell and his sister left months ago in search of someone, with a grand tourney planned for the return."

"Change of plans Joffrey." Dany's eyes flash with triumph. "We're going to Oldtown."

Ser Bronn however seems to have issue with that and wags his own finger in Dany's face. "Not so fast Princess. I'm your sworn sword, so that means you aren't going anywhere without me."

"And you'll need my help." Now Tasha seems fully on board and I begin to really wonder who she worked for originally.


…

​

Margaery Tyrell
​

Once my rage cooled over my brother's impulsive idiocy, I managed to speak calmly with Prince Viserys. Since Gerion was already going back to the Stepstones, we decided it was best for Garlan to also go home. Who better to fix his mistake than him?

I didn't even have to do more than ask the Prince and he gave permission for me to remain on the Celebration. Going home with Garlan would have ended with his son the new Lord of the Hightower.

Viserys sent one of his Red Priests with Garlan, the one called Thoros of Myr. The one who was 'liberated' from the pirates however has been giving nonstop advice anytime he comes out from his cabin.

Moqorro's insistence that Rhaenys would be found by traveling to Volantis was all it took his fleet mixed fleet to set sail for Essos. Now as we walk through the streets of Volantis towards the Red Temple, the sweltering air leaves a layer of sweat growing on my body.

The stone paved roads reflect the beating sun and leave the city a humid soup we're forced to endure. The smell of sex – which I can recognize thanks to our stop in the Summer Isles – is mixed with large piles of what I assume is elephant dung.

Coppernicus is large enough to carry six full grown men in armor. But since the heat here makes wearing any near impossible for anyone but Viserys it seems, eight men I still haven't are joining us and Moqorro.

The dragon has left the streets cleared long before we travel them and none of the city guard seem eager to get close. Viserys shifts his grip on me and turn back to Moqorro, even his voice sounds irritated by the climate.

"How much farther?" His annoyance is moderate after the wait we had to endure at the black gate, it was nearly twenty minutes before the shaking captain allowed us entry into the eastern half of the city.

"You'll be able to see it soon." The dark skinned priest answers mysteriously and I can only hope that Thoros is annoying my brother even more. "Don't worry my Prince, the wait only makes it more impressive."

Viserys tenses behind me on the saddle and I can hear his scowl when he berates Moqorro once again. "Stop calling me that. I'd like to get out of this city before another crown gets chucked at me."

"It matters not if I continue," Counters the smirking priest. "Many have already seen you in the flames. Just as I did so many years ago."

"Well as long as they stay quiet about it until we're gone…" Viserys trails off as we finally see the towering Temple of the Lord of Light.

It's twice, maybe even three times as large as the Sept in back Oldtown with walls of chiseled stone. The craftsmanship is so fine it looks like the stone is all from a single massive piece even though it consists of several different kinds.

Red sandstone blends into orange and yellow rock, with specks of raw gold every few feet. Pillars support dozens of patios, with bridges and stairs turning the entire thing into something that seems impossible to the eye.

Between us and the temple, people have finally found he courage to remain in the street. What must be nearly a thousand men with breastplates over bright orange robes await us with a spear in hand.

"Not really the reception you told me to expect." Viserys hisses back at our guide. "Want to tell them to back off?"

"The Fiery Hand answer only to the Flame of Wisdom, High Priest Benerro." Explains Moqorro with only hint of apology in his voice. "The slaves will not move until he commands it or you accept who you are."

I know Volantis sadly has nearly five slaves for every free man, but it seems Viserys was unaware of this fact. "All of them are slaves?"

"Of course." Moqorro has no emotion in his voice, he only gives the raw facts with a calculating glint in his eyes. "Benerro would have it no other way."

Viserys doesn't answer and goes silent as a grave behind me, with even his breath becoming so shallow I almost fear he stopped. While he goes over this realization in his mind, the arm around me tightens tight enough to hurt.

"Hey!" A quick snap of my head has my braid smacking him right in the face. "Not so tight, you're the only one wearing armor."

"Sorry…" He mumbles back with a shaking voice and pulls his hand away. "I just haven't actually seen a slave I wasn't able to free." He reaches for one of his axes and lets out a long heavy breath. "My family has a pretty horrible history of it and I've been trying not to think about how horrible the world still is."

I can feel his disgust with each word, his body trembling behind me as we finally come to a stop before the slave soldiers. "What are you going to do?"

"I guess I'm taking the damn crown." He mutters under his breath and stands tall on his dragon's back. His words are somehow being heard perfectly by me and the slaves alike, despite the fact that Moqorro said few in Volantis speak our language.

"I've been running from a lot of responsibility in my life." Viserys isn't quite yelling but his booming voice is still filling the street. "Westeros didn't need me, Valyria had no one left to rule but monsters, and the Summer Islands had more than enough Princes of their own. But no one I'd call worthy seems willing to take charge of this city."

He finally does yell and directs his roar right at the temple. "I'm the Prince who was promised and I promise we're not doing the whole slavery thing anymore." Coppernicus agrees with his 'brother' and let's out his most ferocious howl yet, causing every single soldier to flinch away in fear.

"I'll explain this part later, so don't do something stupid like Garlan did." He whispers to me before sliding of the dragon and striding right up to the Fiery Hands' commander. "The Lord of Light brought me back for a reason and the faster Benerro get's his ass out here, the faster I can save the world."

What is he talking about? Viserys can't really believe all of Moqorro's madness.

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 25: Revolution
Jennelyn Baratheon
​

Huddled beside Theon, the two of us are a lot more cozy than I had feared. Once the storm ended and the Ironborn got a windbreak built from the snow, Ed's body heat left the side facing him slick with ice.

The runaway ranger might be cockier than Bronn on his worst days, but the boy did manage to get feeling back in my hands. Once he finished pulling the bits of metal out of the flesh, Theon wrapped them with a couple strips of cloth cut from the bottom of my cloak.

For two whole days he keeps both me and Edriggon fed and cared for to the best of his ability. He could have left us here days ago instead of waiting for another one of those… things to come looking for it's friend.

"Shouldn't you be warning the Wall?" His arrows are the only thing that seemed to work on the icy being even if his minions needed flame or steel to be put down. That's the kind of knowledge that can decide a battle.

He notices my gaze is drawn to his quiver and the five recovered arrows made from dark green dragonglass. "Whoever has been sending the shipments knows more than they're letting on. They've been sending arrows and daggers aplenty, the Watch will figure it out fast enough."

A horn blares out two sharp notes and Theon tenses before forcing himself to relax. "Wildlings. But since I didn't blow that alarm, I should probably go take a look."

"I'm not waiting here again," I growl and follow him out onto the shore only to gasp at the sight waiting for us.

The pile of dead bodies Theon insisted Ed set aflame must have been a pretty big beacon because a barge big enough for a dragon is being secured to the shore. Dozens of smaller boats are escorting it, each one big enough for two people.

None of that is shocking though, considering how close to the wildlings we are. What does amaze me is the six men that tower over everyone else. Each of them is at least ten feet tall with the largest of them nearly fifteen.

At first it looks like they're clad in the same furs as the men walking below them. But when they get close enough for Ed to growl, I realize each one has a thick layer of body hair covering them from head to toe. At least someone's hairier than my family.

"You survived?" Ygritte marches for us with two men who have more commanding presences. "I was expecting the find nothing left but the dragon!"

One is as tall as Sandor but not nearly as sturdily built. He has a wild mane of flaming red hair and a beard to match. His face reveals his awe at Edriggon behind us, his emerald eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"That's the man who stole you?" The red head roars with laughter at the sight of a scowling Theon. "I expected better from you Ygritte."
The man between them is still tall, only he's a more normal height and barely reaches six feet. His black hair is peppered with grey at his temples and his eyes conceal his real feelings. Mance Rayder simply gives Ed a calculating look that slides to the charred bones.

"Your beast was able to kill the Other?" He speaks to me, clearly already aware who the rider is.

"No." I'm not sure if his fire would be hot enough, the storm was really affecting him.

He grimaces but nods in understanding. "So you waited them out over the sea like we do when they strike at Hardhome?"

"Dragon didn't kill the ice-man," Brags Theon as he holds one of his arrows over to the King beyond the Wall. "Better start calling me something impressive. Because I killed it with only a single shot." That's not what you told me.

"Don't lie to us Boy!" The red head snarls and lifts Theon by his collar, ignoring any of his protests.

"Enough Tormund." Mance stops him with a calm command. "The boy's not lying." He examines the arrowhead closely. "Them still breathing is all the proof I need right now."

The smallest of the giants allows his curiosity to overcome his common sense and he approaches Edriggon with an outstretched palm. "Friend."

Before I can warn him off, Ed's head snakes towards the furry fingers. He sniffs at them cautiously before he eventually decides the giant is no threat.

"Warm." I'm surprised when Ed allows the giant to stroke him but the hairy man is just as shocked.

Since Ed seems to approve, I let my guard drop a little bit. "It doesn't seem like you're here to hurt us." No one has weapons drawn, should I offer food? "I don't actually have any bread or salt but we have plenty of seal left. You're all free to help yourselves, just save one for Ed."

"Ygritte told us about the attack and we wanted to recover the dragon." The King winks at me. "I didn't think you or her man would have lived… let alone triumphed."

I want to be offended but I remember my own horror at facing the dead before rage took over. "Well we did." I cross my arms and stand closer to Theon. "So what's going to happen now?" I can't really take over with Ed hurt. "You going to try and steal my dragon? Because if you try, then I'm the one ending up stealing everything you own."

My declaration brings shocked amusement to his and Tormund's faces, with bellows of laughter coming from the others listening nearby. Ygritte said the strong take and the strongest keep, so I cannot look weak on my first introduction.

It doesn't seem to offend Mance, only makes him grin down at me. "Brave words. But can you back them up?"

"Give her a weapon and she'll cave your skull in." Theon is surprisingly the one who speaks in my defense. "Princess Jennelyn fought that thing long enough for me to make my shot."

"Didn't I warn you not to lie?" Snarls Tormund as he reaches once again for Theon, leaving it my turn to defend us.

"So it's you who needs the manners beaten into him?" I'm big for my age and use all of my five feet to puff up angrily. "Hope you don't mind losing in front of everyone to a 'little' girl. That would be pretty embarrassing if we're just lying."

My words sound confident but inside I'm shaking. I'm in no condition to fight anyone and this guy looks as tough as Lord Sandor. Even if I was fine, I don't think I'd be winning.

"Oh I like you Girl," The snarling red head turns to me with a grin forming on his face. "You'll fit in just fine."

"I'm not going to fit in," I correct him with a bravado filled voice I know Bronn would see right through. "I'm going to take over."

Mance doesn't react like I expected and take it as a challenge. Instead he smiles warmly at me and holds his arms wide to each side.

"If you've really killed one, maybe you should be in charge." He seems to consider it for a moment before shaking his head. "No, that isn't going to work. Even if I believe you, the rest will not."

Glancing at Theon for a second before his eyes lock onto my own, Mance carefully approaches while Ed is distracted with the friendly giant. "But can you face all of the Enemy and win by yourself?"

How many of them exist? The idea of more than a few is horrifying and makes me lose any semblance of arrogance.

"I didn't think so." Mance Rayder holds out his hand and leaves it hanging in the air between us. "But if you can help keep us safe while this Ironborn helps us get the fleet finished… some of the Freefolk may decide it's better to settle where you decide. Essos is a large place and has plenty of room for us to spread out."

"How long will that take?" How many 'Freefolk' does he have under him already?

"As it is, maybe five year before we can transport everyone at once." Mance explains and turns his curious on Theon. "But if 'Longshot' here can do as he promised, we might be able to cut it down to two."


…

​

Tyrion Lannister​

The moment Viserys begins his speech to the Fiery Hand, I know something big is about to happen. The sudden acceptance of Moqorro's prophecy isn't that shocking after his grudging acceptance of his fleet calling him such already. But him taking charge without any prodding is.

I expect the thousand soldiers to overwhelm us even with the dragon and yet the commander does as Viserys commands. He sends a single man running up the main flight of stairs to inform the Red Priests inside that their presence is demanded.

While we wait in awkward silence for the message to be delivered, my mind races for ways to get out of this alive. I have no idea what kind of tactics my childhood friend favors but I see no way we can escape without brutal efficiency.

If we can reach the fleet before Coppernicus is to badly hurt, we actually have a chance of taking the city. Viserys doesn't seem to agree with my assessment though and keeps yelling into the no longer empty plaza.

After his initial promise was made, people began filtering out of the opulent buildings. By ones and twos at first but quickly we have even more watching than we have soldiers in front of us.

It feels like hours but I doubt it's been even half of one before more than a hundred men in crimson robes exit the temple. The High Priest is fat but not so much as to hinder his movements as he leads his followers right up to Viserys.

"You are the one who made the claim?" Benerro looks Viserys over carefully for any sign of flaw he can exploit.

"I am the one who ended the curse of Greyscale and it's even more horrible sister the Grey Plague!" Viserys doesn't answer the High Priest directly, instead yelling out to the whole crowd. "I entered the Doom of Valyria, home of my ancestors. And I am the one who brought magic back to the world!"

He paces back and forth in front of a quickly reddening Benerro. "I gave my life and yet R'hllor sent me back with a mission." With that silencing the civilians, Viserys now faces the priests with a straight back. "How many of you have seen me in the flames?"

Nearly half raise hands with confidence and this gets another twenty or so to follow suit. "R'hllor is mad his own faithful are wearing collars like animals! If they are to help me face the true enemy, they will do so as free men and women!"

I'm not clear who or what this threat is. But the locals believe and that's enough to work the crowd into a frenzy. "I am the Promised Prince and I am here to take charge of the Faith."

Benerro freezes in horror as the words sink in, only to slowly accept them. "If that is our Lord's will, the faithful will not oppose his new plan."

"Prisoners of war can be used for the same length of time as the war in which they are captured lasted." Viserys finds a way to not completely shatter the economic system with a single speech and manages to make converting to the Red Faith very appealing. "Followers of the faith are exempt and will never wear chains in my lands!"

He lets the crowds cheering die down before continuing. "Criminals will serve terms of servitude to the Faith, based on the severity of the crime in the eyes of R'hllor." Viserys stops and shakes his head, chuckling under his breath. "But of course I'm getting ahead of myself. We have a city to liberate first."

"The time of the Tigers and Elephants alike is over!" Roars Viserys with an enviable level of charisma before he climbs back onto Coppernicus with us. "The Dragons are back!"

He gives orders for the West half of the city to be taken as quickly as possible. The individual buildings won't be stormed yet and only blocked off to prevent them from uniting.

Volantis as slightly more than a million inhabitants and most of them are slaves. If the signs of R'hllor worship I saw on the East side are a good indicator, the city will be taken by nightfall.

"Get to the fleet and take half up the Rhoyne." Viserys roars back at me and I realize I missed something. "You want my forgiveness, go save my niece."

In my shock I somehow manage to slide down from the dragon and join a trio of Red Priests in a scarlet silk palanquin. None are well versed in common as I quickly discover, leaving me forced to endure the sweaty ride back to the docks with no conversation.

Word of the revolution has spread fasted than us and anyone wearing colors of the Triarchy is left in pools of blood on the street. In the hour and a half it takes to cross the Long Bridge and wind our way down to the docks, it seems like a million slaves are all wearing whatever red they can find.

"What in the hells is going on?" Ser Arnold roars at me when I clamber on on board with my escort. "It looks like half the city has been set aflame!"

"Only a few pyres to burn the slave masters on," I correct him with shake of my head. The wind is keeping the smell away for now but the screams remind me of darker times.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've quickly learned the difference between cruelty and brutality. Viserys was very clear anyone who wasted time on rape or torture would be the first to experience his new laws and face at least five years of hard labor.

It's left the slaves with the choice between making quick, clean kills or sacrifices to R'hllor in the bonfires. But the faster they decide the more they're able to loot from the dead masters homes.

"We need half the fleet ready to sail so we can go save Rhaenys," Saying that fills me with a strange sense of giddiness. "Viserys is a little busy taking over Volantis right now."


…

Notes: Sorry for being a day late and a little small. It's my birthday today and I got surprised last night with a romantic dinner. Happy holidays everyone.​

 

[ATP]

Taking Volantis - better then Westeros.
Jennelyn - ally or hostage?
Good chapters.

Merry christmas.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 26: Row Your Boat
Sansa Stark
​

"Do we have everything we need?" I hesitate beside on the creaking dock, gripping Gendry's hand even tighter.

"We don't have time to sneak anything else out," Warns Jojen as he grabs the oars. "Bella is supposed to fly you back to Winterfell in the morning."

Beside me Gendry growls in annoyance and drops down into our commandeered boat barely big enough for us and the two stolen unicorns. "You're the one insisting we go, so we really need to hurry. It'll only triple the distance if we have to leave from Winterfell."

"You don't have to come." I remind him as he lifts me down carefully.

"You wouldn't have even made it this far without me," Counters Gendry, his voice far more self assured since I woke up. "I'd say I'm the essential one here."

"You aren't going to be rewarded for this." And the boon a you already earned for giving blood will be forgotten once the sun rises. "You both might even be punished."

Neither answer right away and I'm left alone in my now eternal darkness. The waves lap against the boat, rocking us from side to side under the shrieking wind. Even with my furs the freezing air cuts into me and leaves me shivering.

"If bringing you North will stop even one of my dreams from coming true…" Grim and lacking any real hope, Jojen4 "Any punishment will be worth it."

"Bella told me to blame it all on Jojen," Admits Gendry as he takes his own seat across from us, letting Jojen whisper soothing words to the agitated mounts. "So I'm telling the Starks he kidnapped us both."

He slips the oars into the waves and hisses for Jojen to untie us."We have enough food for two months but we'll need to hunt for the unicorns. They'll get aggressive after only a few days of smoked meat."

I turn towards his voice and let a half smile appear on my face. "Aren't they always uppity towards you?"

"Which is why I'm keeping both of you between me and those menaces." Gendry fires back playfully and I can sense his grin grow when Jojen lets out an audible gulp.

Once he starts rowing with strong steady strokes, I huddle against the Reed Boy for warmth."How long is it going to take us to cross the bay?" The wind on the sea is making it even colder and I'm already missing the meager protection Skagos' hills brought.

"Us?" Gendry snorts and starts talking at a normal volume. "I'm the one rowing. So unless 'somebody' wants to help, it's going to take me almost an hour to cross."

"I can't keep up that kind of pace for even five minutes. Sorry." Admits a very quiet Reed heir.

The playful banter between the two boys is suddenly tense and I have no idea why. Gendry does though and lets out a guilt ridden sigh. "Sorry Jo. My sister told me not to bring it up and just keep an eye on you for her."

"Don't worry about it." After a few seconds Jojen finally answers with a groan. "Nearly dying of greywater fever is why I have these dreams. I was spared then for a reason and I'm fulfilling it now by helping Sansa reach the Three-eyed crow."

"What's so special about these dreams?" Grunts the Waters bastard, who I have to keep reminding myself is such. "You didn't dream about the… incident, until after it had happened."

"Sometime I dream of the past and other times the future." When Jojen answers it's not with excitement but resignation towards something grim. "But most of the time it's of the now and I haven't been able to change anything." He gets just a tiny spark of hope in his voice. "But you have and I need to help you change more of them."

Only the sound of Gendry rowing and the hissing of the unicorns fills the boat, the strong boy beginning to pant with exertion. I couldn't say goodbye to Arya because she would have insisted on coming. But Jojen did write a goodbye letter for each member of my family that Bella will 'find' in the morning.

"What kind of things?" Gendry asks again after the near silence grows awkward.

Proud of being able to reveal his own talent, Jojen's voice takes on a tinge of bravado. "I saw the dragons hatch." I can hear his smirk. "… All ten of them."

Wait a second. Who hatched the other five? "Ten?"

"Four in the Riverlands, on the burning boat." Shifting beside me, it sounds like he's counting off fingers for Gendry's benefit. "Three in a blazing carriage on a grassy hill, one under the eruption of a volcano, and another when a tower crumbles amid a storm."

His voice grows louder and more confident when neither of us interrupt. "The final one found life on a sandy beach in the Stormlands, just as the tide pulled back into the sea in preparation."

"… Preparation for what?" The way he said that last part was to unsettling to ignore.

"When the last tower is reclaimed by the sea, waves from the East will wash away the sinners and saints alike in King's Landing." Jojen is back to his grim voice. "The pretenders shall emerge from the deep once the red comet wakes them from their sleep."

"Drowned men and women will float in the flooded streets of Oldtown." His voice takes the most chilling turn yet and I find myself unable to visualize these horrors as more than a vague concept. "After the Hammer falls one final time… the Wall will fall and Winterfell will be filled with the dead."

Silence hangs in the air as a shocked Gendry stops rowing. "If that's what you're dreaming of all the time, why do you do so much sleeping?"

Jojen waits for the rhythmic paddling to begin again before answering. "It's not always the bad things. I've also seen my parents first meeting and my sister's wedding." Hopefully not the whole thing.

By the time we reach the rocky shore North of the Wall, Gendry is panting hard. While he recovers in the light of the rising sun, Jojen helps the Unicorns out of the boat and begins loading them with our supplies.

A howling wolf comes from incredibly close and it sounds like the mounts nearly break away from Jojen. While he tries to calm them back down, Gendry climbs to his feet brandishing an oar.

"That thing is massive!" He growls out at Jojen. "I don't want to see how many friends it has. Get back in the boat, we'll find somewhere else to land.

"What color is the wolf's fur?" Speaking up before anyone panics even worse, I blindly stare straight towards the source of the howl.

Jojen answers with an audible smirk. "Grey like steel." Just like I dreamed.

"It's Robb!" I gasp out and try to make my way onto the rocky beach only for Gendry to grab my arm.

"What are you talking about?" His grip is firm but not painful.

Once again our Reed companion is the one who answers. "Skinchangers get to live a second life in an animal companion. Sansa told us Robb would be here waiting."

Gendry sighs heavily and groans, climbing out of the boat. "Alright…" I can hear crunching in the snow as Gendry and the wolf walk towards each other cautiously. "Sorry about my sister killing you and all that. I promise to make sure your sister gets home safe if you promise not no eat my face."

After the wolf passes Gendry's inspection, it starts to sniff at me. While I hold out a hand to be sniffed, Gendry begins laughing.

"Did anyone tell Robb he's… you know. A she wolf?" A few more snorts of amusement come from Gendry. "And a pregnant one at that!"



…

​

Rhaenys Targaryen
​

Aegorian throws himself into the air before I whistle making me grit my teeth in frustration. It's getting harder and harder to control the dragon named after my brother and I'm dreading the day I need cross the Narrow Sea.

My own dragon beats her ebony wings and rises skyward only with my command. As we follow her brother towards the clouds, my eyes scan the eastern side of the river for any change that I am very relieved not to find.

The Dothraki fires still refuse to come any closer, content to besiege Ar Noy on the East bank. Those who chose not to join Daemon and I's protection are dying by the hundred. But if I fly to relieve them, the Volantene blockade will pour into Chroyane.

We're outnumbered on both fronts and I know it's only the threat of dragon fire holding them back for now. Once the silver brat gets his excess energy out he's more agreeable, actually listening to my command this time.

"South Gorian, we need to keep the fleet scared!" His big sister reacts to my legs alone and slowly passes the most agile of the three.

You may be the hardest to hit you little menace, but in a straight line Ariannex will beat you and Queraxes both. Though Daemon definitely got the smartest dragon… sometimes his chirps even sound like words.

My eyes widen in shock when we finally reach the blockade and I can make out another hundred sails approaching. Are the Triarchs really so scared they need to triple the size of the fleet?

"Let's really give the world a reason to fear you." By the time I make a decision and signal to Aegorian, the reinforcements have nearly reached the blockade.

As we begin our dive, I realize the new ships aren't the same style at all. Do they have a dragon as their flag?

"Simonagon!" My panicked cry to rise comes just as hundreds of arrows arc into the sky, only to rain down on the blockade.

Did Aegon find me? I know someone in the Arbor was sending supplies before the blockade went up. Did they send an escort when the last shipment wasn't delivered?

While I consider the source of surprise support, boarding parties cross over to the Volantene ships in a frenzy below me. Aegorian catches the smell of blood and nothing I say can stop his descent. All Ariannex and I can do, is hope to stop him from feasting on our allies.

She dives after her brother and I'm forced to hold on tight or be thrown from the saddle. Gorian's pale body flashes in the sun as he grabs a pair of men in Volantene armor in his claws. Throwing them into the air and roasting them before he snaps his jaws shut with a steel tearing crunch.

"Only eat those ones!" My words barely get a reaction even though I know he heard me clear as day. "Don't ignore me, the other guys are here to help us!" And have a damned lot of archers.

He snorts finally in response and lands on the side of one of the larger galleys. Aegorian's skull smashes right through the deck with a single powerful blow and he fills the hold with silver fire and short lived screams.

As soon as his feast is ready, he forces his way inside the smoking ship. At least you'll be busy for a while.

Once I'm confident Aegorian is distracted, I whistle for my big girl to set the flag ship's sails aflame. She does with eagerness to show off and black flames leave nothing but ash floating down to the battling crews.

"Let's not scare our new friends. Land nice and gentle over at the back of the boat." It's the only place I know we won't crush anyone on our side.

It was clear the battle was won before I decided to help. Now with two dragons aiding the strange ships, I can already hear cries of surrender coming from the nearby ships.

Most of the men crewing this ship are already dead or dying, something I've had five years to harden myself against. I may not be able to forget the sounds but so far I can hold off feeling the horror until I go to bed.

Days like this where I witness so many people dying are the hardest to block out and I know I'll be lucky to get even an hour of sleep tonight. And when I finally do, I'll see Quentyn one more time… judging me with his tri-colored eyes made of fire.

Only a few more men are still battling and have been crowded up at the prow of the ship behind a ring of dark skinned spearmen. Why are Summer Islanders so far from home?

"Stay here and don't kill anyone unless they try and hurt me." I trust her to watch over me and slide off Ariannex's back with Dawn's hilt in my hand.

Eyes watch my confident stride carefully but no one moves to stop me. The ring of watchers even step aside enough for me to watch the final two duels.

A man who looks remarkably like Arthur Dayne is playing with his foe, knocking each tired swing away with ease. His smile is wide as he dances back and forth, only for his eyes to flash with recognition when he sees me.

"You kept Dawn safe for me Princess, how kind of you to return it." The Dayne is only a few years older than me but I must admit he is well trained with a blade. He's only a little bit slower than Arthur was.

"Did you do all this just to get Dawn?" Starfall isn't far from the Arbor… maybe the Daynes are working with the Redwynnes.

"Wasn't my idea I'm afraid, just my good luck to have been invited." He snarls when the Volantene captain makes a stab at him, slicing bot legs of at the knee. With a laugh he kicks the screaming man in the gut, sending him tumbling overboard minus his legs.

"An armored skirt is really just an invitation!" Roars a second voice from the other fight, making my heart begin hammering when a golden haired dwarf thrusts a very familiar dagger into the first mate's groin. "Shame you and your men all have to die just so we can teach our crews this very important lesson."

What is he doing here! "Tyrion, is that you?"

My shocked gasp wipes the smirk from his face and we're left staring at each other in stunned amazement. The dagger Viserys used to kill Grandfather drops from his fingers and stabs into the scarlet stained deck.

"Rhaenys…" His voice wavers with disbelief and he takes a step towards me before freezing again. "It's really you."

"It is." But I'm not the same girl you wrote those songs for. "What are you doing here?" I'm just like Viserys, a kin slayer tainted by my time so close to the throne.

He looks up at me with mismatched eyes, one green like Queraxes' wings and he other black like Arrianex's scales. His hair is thin and looks nearly white it's so fair. But even his jutting forehead and stubby fingers are nothing compared to the memory of my grandfather's last days.

That was a real monster in both body and mind. Tyrion's letters prove he at least has a kind heart, even if he is a monstrous as Oberyn once claimed.

"Viserys sent me to break the blockade," My betrothed smiles awkwardly and takes another couple paces forward. "He's a little busy liberating Volantis right now." Someone captured the city? But how?

"From who?" And how did they get an entire army past me and Daemon?

The question only makes Tyrion grin. "Your uncle decided to liberate Volantis from the Triarchs. He's created the Dragon party and is going to force an election."

"Does he need my help?" Aegorian will finally have a rider and I don't even have to go back to Westeros to find him one.

The Dayne knight smirks behind him, his eyes finally leaving my sword when Aegorian roars. His shadow soon passes over us and I barely have time to warn everyone away from me.

The snarling silver dragon lands right behind me, his face snarling at anyone who even dares look at me. Everyone except for the dark haired Dayne, his dark purple eyes shining with ideas.

"Coppernicus is quite a bit bigger than these guys." Tyrion continues once color returns to his face, his eyes roaming the sky carefully for a third. "But I thought you had three dragons?"

"Daemon is in the North, patrolling between Ghoyan Drohe and Ny Sar." We only have three cities and can't afford to lose any of them.

Worry floods Tyrion's face. "Who's Daemon?"

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Added second half of chapter 26.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 27: Focusing Fire
Viserys Ashtar
​

Nearly the entirety of Volantis has joined the revolution and taken up arms with us, the perk of having half the city already members of the Faith I'm taking advantage of. As the noble families of the city are brought to the Red Plaza, I have people light a roaring bonfire.

"Do you really need to kill them all?" Margaery is kind enough to keep her voice only a whisper and I reassure her with a confident grin.

"I'd like to avoid killing anyone." Though the smell of burning flesh floating down from the other streets, reminds me the freed slaves may not be as forgiving of how they had been treated. "But I can't afford to leave anyone ambitious with a power base. I'll deal with everyone at the same time." With a nice big crowd to witness the change of power.

Alright that should be hot enough now. "Bring over the troughs!"

My shout has ten iron troughs brought over and placed over the fire. Each one is filled with water and starts to steam.

"I've taken your city…" Smirking at the three captured Triarchs, I approach them with confidence. "But I'm not a heartless man. I challenge each of you to outlast me, with any onlookers free to take part!"

I climb inside one trough of rapidly warming water to the gasps of the onlookers. "Anyone from a royal family who can outlast me, gets everything I own. My dragon, Valyrian steel, and Volantis itself."

The three Triarchs are quick to climb into ones closer to the edge, while six more ambitious nobles claim the other troughs. I can already see them all getting red and I add the final stipulation.

"Anyone who gets out before me…" My voice goes low as I growl out to the other challengers. "Gives their life to R'hllor. Either as a priest or a sacrifice." The faces I get are varied between shocked horror and enraged promises of vengeance.

"I didn't make anyone get in, I just said anyone who accepted my challenge would be exempt from becoming a war serf." It was explained to them all that was what I was replacing slavery with, only with the length of service being left out. "You all wanted what I have and right now it's a nice bath."

As the first one begins to sway from the heat, bubbles begin forming along the bottom of my own trough. Letting my smirk grow wider, I dunk my head under the still rather tepid water.

I wait for a count of five before reemerging to groans. "How refreshing."

As the water nears boiling, my competetors begin giving up one after another. When the scalded Tiger Triarch finally quits, his skin is blistered and peeling all over his body.

None of them are able to walk, let alone fight off the Red Priests who escort them inside the temple. Once I'm alone in troughs, I get up slowly and smile at the crowd.

"Anyone else want to try?" No one seems eager and I climb out carefully. "No? Are you all content with my rule?"

The now freed slaves begin clapping. Quietly at first but soon voacl cries of support fill the air. Their is some booing from the noble familes facing a few days of hard labor but I just soak it all in.t

"What are we supposed to call you?" The High Priest calls out so everyone can hear, silencing the cheers before they can drown him out. "Does Volantis now have a monarch?"

"I am only here to help stoke the fires among the faithful." Of course of a free world.

Both of my lives have a long family history of endorsing this kind of evil and I'm finding myself eagerly looking forward to this choice. But it's far easier to nudge a culture over the next few decades, than to try overturning everything in a single day.

Only letting serfs be criminals and prisoners of war with set terms of service, will unite the people against the coming horrors. Everyone I talked to in my first life, assumed Jon Snow's resurrection had to be for a reason. I really don't think I'm going to see dawn after the coming night.

If Rhaenys is happy here in Essos, I can leave her in charge of Volantis after my death. Since she's retaken the Targaryen name, the old blood will probably like her more than me.

I consider that for a moment and realize what I choose to call myself will really be important. Using a title that's already in use will only have expectations attatched to my rule. What I need is a new role that I can establish early on is not truly at the top.

"I serve R'hllor in his quest to defeat the Great Enemy." Benerro's face pales at how bluntly I speak. "He stirs already in secret and I will unite those I can under the warm light of R'hllor."

I might not fully believe my own words, but the fanatics will seek several someones out if I don't focus the fires of the Red Faith. "The Enemy has already managed to twist our Lord's words."

"What do you mean?" The High Priest is pompous, yet he does truly believe in his God. My words are going to make it sound like R'hllor is one of the Valyrian gods, since nearly all of them have been forgotten now. Hope he never finds out I'm lying, fanatics can't be reasoned with.

"You may have forgotten but I have returned to Valyria six times since R'hllor chose me." And I really haven't made it much safer, so I don't need to worry about my claims being double checked. "The Valyrian Gods did not enslave their own. They expanded outwards and conquered nearly all of Essos before the Enemy struck at their heart!"

One of my Naathian volunteers asked if I would be recovering those sold into slavery by Victarion. Mossador is young and his name tugs on something I used to remember. I haven't had a reason to think of the Essos sections in over a decade, I can't be expected to remember everything that got mentioned in the books and show.

Was he related to someone important? Or was he maybe one of the pit fighters that Dany freed? Either way, his request was soon copied by the others from Naath.

"I am the Vizier of R'hllor," If Caesar can name a whole title after himself, I can borrow one that sounds kind of like my own name. "Restored to life to guide as many as I can into the dawn!" And once it's all over, I'll have done my best to leave capable people in charge.

Stannis is hard enough to face the dead until I can finish my own recruiting and Renly is charming enough to keep Westeros united behind his brother. As long as they can manage to work together.

"My niece is in the Sorrows now, holding back the Dothraki hordes all on her own!" Gasps from the crowd let me know the Triarchs have indeed been keeping knowledge tightly guarded. "And who has the best record against them?"

I hear cries in support of the Unsullied legions, the Jhogos Nhai, and even one woman shouting about the Ifeqevron. But none of them speak the obvious until Moqorro shouts his answer, silencing the masses with his passion.

"It was the Dragons!" The crowd cheers again and I allow some of the excitement to soak into my face.

Knowing how loud it was going to get, a pair of pillows have been fashioned into earmuffs for Coppernicus. But even with the noise muffled, he still prefers his current place perched on the edge of the temple's slanted roof.

I step beside the dark skinned man and watch his tattoos flicker like red flames. "We will swell the faith by freeing Slaver's Bay of Ghiscari tyranny." Dany was able to steal the Unsullied for herself, I just need to hope I can replicate the feat.

"The longer the war takes, the longer my soldiers' families will have the use of captured serfs!" I'm banking on that proclamation enticing volunteers to flock to my army. If it makes my enemies surrender and convert faster to avoid such a fate… I won't complain.

Margaery was good with the hungry people in King's Landing. The realization nearly makes me smack myself. Why am I ignoring my very talented help in my service?

"What do you think I should do to stabilize Volantis?" The gorgeous Tyrell girl blinks in confusion before realizing, yes, I really am asking for a woman's opinion.

She recovers quickly and has an answer ready to go right away. "Keep them fed and they'll listen to a lot more nonsense than they will with empty bellies."

I'd like to do that but I still have nearly ten million people to lay claim to between Volantis and her three northern walled cities. The Triarchs have excellent records and have the population of each one as specific as the hundred.

Each one is slightly larger than King's Landing and yet are still only a third of Volantis' overall size. If I can keep casualties at less than ten percent while I take the Volantene territory, I'll have slightly more than twelve million people to keep fed. How in the hell am I going to manage that?

"I think I'm going to need some help from your family," I admit to a smirking Margaery, the midday sun shining of her honey blonde hair like a crown. "It's going to be at least four months before the Rhoyne can be farmed and free people expect to eat more than they did as slaves."

"How will you be paying for that?" It's not that Margaery doubts I can, but genuine curiosity in what I'll be willing to part with.

Well I saw the same Redwynne ships you did in the harbor," And I know the Mander still has more than enough food to trade. "Do you think your grandmother would prefer gold, or something more exotic?"

"You already know what she wants." The eye roll Margaery delivers could rival one of Cersei's best. "Just don't tell the captains the whole truth until they unload for the standard price."


…

Note: I'm going back to the smaller chapter sizes. 3K words is just too much to get out every day.​

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Stannis is hard enough to face the dead until I can finish my own recruiting and Renly is charming enough to keep Westeros united behind his brother. As long as they can manage to work together.

Click to shrink...

#OOOF

Nobody tell him, I can't stand to see his face when he realizes everything went tits up.

 

[Vanbers]

#OOOF

Nobody tell him, I can't stand to see his face when he realizes everything went tits up.

Click to shrink...

"Alright, I left them everything they needed to succeed, even Dragons and how to hatch them, and a united realm. As long as they acted even slightly reasonably, everything is going to be fine."

Spoiler: Westeros:

 

[ThedudeManBro]

"Alright, I left them everything they needed to succeed, even Dragons and how to hatch them, and a united realm. As long as they acted even slightly reasonably, everything is going to be fine."

Spoiler: Westeros:

Click to shrink...

His FIRST mistake was believe the people who praised Aerys' and his wack bloodline like it was manna from the heavens would not start shit up, and that Oberyn and friends where in anyway forward thinking.

His second was believing Westeros was the logical capital of Planetos, and not its reverse.

His third?... Fuck I dunno. Get any kind of impaired in Cersei gripping distance? She's the girl who had the biggest ladyboner for the Prophesy Worshipping Prissy-Boi, and she's half-insane in the membrane

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 28: Not Today
Aegon Ashtar
​

For two whole days and a third night, Arianne sleeps like the dead. By now her lips are dry and cracking, with everyone beginning to fear she isn't going to wake up again.

Mya has taken over the duties of ruling Storm's End and quite well I must add. Five years of Arianne being just as active a leader as Renly, has left Storm's End accepting of female rule. At least on a local level.

She has people searching for any sign of the missing and has sent word to Uncle Doran. I hope he makes it in time.

But my own duties have been filled forcing a damp cloth into my cousin's mouth every hour. It won't keep her alive forever but it will give her a few more days.

Five years ago I would have been helpless in this situation, but now I'm the one standing between death and Arianne Baratheon. Anyone can pick up a weapon and kill someone. But you need training and the right mindset to save people the world says will die.

"What do we say to the Stranger Arianne?" I take the rocking chair beside her bed and repeat the phrase I reinterpreted from someone in need of treatment early last year.

I don't get more than a light flickering of her eyelids in response to my voice and sigh. "That's right…." She hasn't had a convulsion in over a day now and I hope her twitching will get better soon. "Not today."

Her muscles tense suddenly and she thrashes under her sheets. I barely jerk back in time to avoid another smack in the nose and smile. "Took longer to get a response from ya this time, hope that's a good sign."

Balon lets out a laugh from his place guarding the door and I try to ignore the older Swann. He took Renly's disappearance hard and refuses to allow anyone he doesn't trust near my cousin. I'm just happy to hear him forget his failure for a moment.

"She's doing better?" Until she wakes up, we have no idea who was working with Pentos.

Shaking my head, I know better than to give someone false hope. "She's not doing any worse." Aside from still not waking up. "But I will need Brienne to get the maids to bathe Arianne, once her shift begins."

He gives me an embarrassed nod and pretends not to understand. Brienne is one of the only eight people allowed to have anything sharp or heavy near Arianne. Being the only woman with such trust, she's needed to oversee the cleanup of any accidents.

"She's supposed to be here within the hour so I can go eat." His explanation gets a nod of thanks from me and I begin massaging the tension from her right arm. "I'll send some maids up before I grab a bowl of crab stew."

He's as tired as I am of the meal, but we'll have be forced to make due until some of Summerhall's food can be delivered. The kitchen and most of the food stores fell into the sea along with the wizard's laboratory.

I sing one of the songs Tyrion wrote for my sister years ago, the one Mother used to sing me to sleep. It's no master piece and yet it's the only one I can remember all the words to. Arianne seems to like it and her face slightly relaxes from the grimace she's had for hours.

By the time I finish her arms, I've gone through the song six times. Balon's foot even begins tapping along as I finish my third repetition.

"Here comes the sun do, do, do." He said Viserys helped him write it at my Grandmother's wedding in the letter and I just wish I had met the man I'm so often compared to.

"What's going on?" Trumpets sound in the courtyard down below, interrupting me before I can start a seventh time.

When I go over to the window and peer down, I find everyone rushing to help the lone man shambling through the gates. "Is that Renly?"

Balon dashes over to me and shoves me aside, his eyes wide as saucers. "He's alive!"

"Keep Arianne safe," I roar over my shoulder as I race from the room.

I might only be halfway through Maester Norrick's lessons, but he's back at the Abbey. I'm the only who here who can do more than the basics, since the Maester here was in the Kitchens when the tower crumbled. Wonder how long it will take for the Citadel to send a replacement?

The halls blur past as I grab blankets from a washer maid, with the stop to steal a bowl of stew barely even being registered in my mind. By the time I reach the muddy courtyard, it's filled with cheers from a very excited crowd.

Stannis was respected when he ruled here, but Renly and Arianne are loved. His return is being seen as a miracle from the Seven and I'm finding myself at a loss for any other explanation. But why would they save him and not Shireen?

"Lord Renly." He doesn't seem to recognize me right away and it gives me time to take in his ragged appearance. "Are you alright?"

He's soaking wet, with skin pale and clammy like he spent the whole time in the sea. His hair is tangled and tinged green like seaweed, with damp sand clinging to his breeches.

His gaze is darting back and forth among the crowd and it's only when I repeat myself that he locks eyes on my own. I miss whatever his first sentence is, too shocked by the change in his eyes.

Gone are his sapphire blue eyes, now one is scarlet and the other a verdant green. "Ageon the Bleeding Heart. What are you doing here?" Renly finds something he said hilarious and snickers uncontrollably for a solid ten seconds.

"Looking after your wife," I let him know she's alive but he doesn't seem to care. "What happened to you?"

"I woke up on the beach with Patchface and Shireen." His words draw more cheers from the crowd and Mya is forced to silence them with a bellow.

She and Brienne force the crowd to part before them and clear some breathing room. "Where are they?" Mya is right, why did Renly leave his niece?

"Aegon said not to move anyone with a bleeding head, so I left them back on a cavern bed." His explanation makes sense but his twitching is getting worse. Renly must have spent to much time with the fool, because he's even starting to rhyme.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's ride!" Mya is quick to answer, her face covered with panic for Shireen.

"Which boat is the fastest?" Renly holds up a hand and changes the subject.

I answer with a frown even though he should know already. "The Summerhull. The one we take to visit Sunspear each year."

"Right…" With a jerky shrug he brushes it off and points to the docks. "I charge you and Brienne to bring them back safe. I don't think I'll survive another swim to Tarth, so go collect the waif."

"But what about Arianne?" I guess her condition is stable…

"I'll look after her so don't you worry," Renly is starting to sway from side to side. "She's my wife so get going in a hurry."

Even though I want to order him to bed under Balon's watch, I have to grit my teeth and nod. Something strange is going on and I'm worried the Pentoshi have him under some kind of spell.

We have wizards in Westeros now and rumors from Essos say they also have magic being shown in the streets. Taking control of the Master of War would be a great way to survive the invasion.

Is Shireen even going to be alive, or will we be sailing into a Pentos trap on Tarth? Even worse, has Tarth already been taken in secret?

"Bring only the best, this isn't just some test." Is the last thing Renly calls out to us before he finally decides to check on Arianne.

Mya gives Brienne and I and stern glare over the strange behavior just witnessed and gives us permission to bring a full complement of soldiers for protection. The Summerhull is only a speedy transport ship meant to collect sick nobles and spare them a long walk to the abbey. Which means Mya also demands we bring a pair of combat capable escorts.

While Brienne and I approach the waiting ship that is always ready to sail at a moment's notice, I find myself feeling ashamed by how much I secretly am enjoying the side effects. Even though lives are on the line, I can't help but relish all this extra time spent with her.

Growing up around Ellaria and then Cersei has left me blind to the bodies beauty. It's Brienne's unrelenting spirit that draws me to her. Her eyes may once again be glued to Renly, but I'll show her I don't need a weapon to be a man worthy of her.

​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 29: Volatile Volantis
Margaery Tyrell
​

Cheers from those in the crowd who had been slaves only yesterday greet Viserys when he reaches the dais. Those now taking their place as serfs wait among them. Tension over whether they will be freed or not is raw in many faces.

Beside me, Elyse's eyes scan the crowd for any sign of trouble. As one of Viserys' Fourteen Flames, she should have been keeping him safe last night. Not sharing a room in the temple with me. He's only named a handful of his most trusted so far, nearly all of them from his original crew.

I lean over and hiss at her in concern when another child waves at me. "Viserys did remember to explain things to the fleet, right?" I've been receiving for more reverence than my position as financial adviser merits.

Once I realized how bad he really is with money, his easy offering of priceless artifacts makes more sense. It's not the figures that are a problem, so much as Viserys just vastly overpaying for services.

He could have gotten at least two more men as good as whoever Ser Houndsworth is. A golden dragon that size is worth more than most landed knights would see in an entire lifetime. Offering me Valyrian steel for my silence, only showed his problem has gotten worse.

"If you don't want him…" Else gives me a confused look. "Why didn't you return home with yer brother?"

Garlan trusts Viserys and my own experience has shown him more willing to let me have freedom, than basically anyone back in Westeros. He really is quite Dornish in his views on women, so maybe I should be looking South when I get home.

"After my family has been on the losing side of two wars in a single decade, I'm not going to be marrying even a peer." No matter how hard Grandmother tries. "When I return, it's only going to be to a lit candle. I'd like to have at least one of those adventures you talked about, before I'm married off to my brother's squire or someone even worse." Samwell Tarly is a nice lad but not in the slightest what I seek from a man.

Viserys removes the collars from the members of the Triarchs' families himself. Following his lead, the temple's bonfire has powders thrown into it by the Red Priests. A pillar of thick purple smoke rises into the air, signaling the freedom of every Serf. I really hope this encourages faster surrenders going forward.

"Well you'll get plenty of adventure with us." Viserys told Garlan and I some pretty unbelievable things while drinking the first night, but Elyse seems ready to try topping the ones I remember. "Something in the Smoking Sea turned an entire Volantene fleet into rock."

"Was this before or after Viserys 'died'?" His revival sounds more like what the Ironborn go through and not some divine miracle.

She answers with a scowl on her face, her eyes tracing the swelling shadows in concern."Was the first trip, before the kraken took out the other crew." The tone of voice is so casual, I almost don't register the words before she changes the subject suddenly. "Are you seeing the same thing I am?"

My gaze follows her finger to the changes happening to the shadow Viserys casts against the wall behind him. It no longer looks like a man's silhouette on the buildings, now contorted by inhuman propotions and demon looking additions.

Claws the size of swords creep towards the dais, with Viserys unaware of his current danger. Elyse reacts before me and charges forward with her sharpened shield raised before her.

The horned figure slashes down at Viserys, only for the rippling grey steel to do it's job. The shield rings like a deep booming bell and Elyse is sent rolling down the stairs from the force of the blow.

The score of orange clad warriors between Viserys and the… thing, charge towards it. Only to be torn to shreds as if their armor was made of flower petals.

Screams of terror fill the plaza outside the temple and the crowd begins panicking to escape. When they try, the shadowy creature darts across the street in the blink of an eye, carving into the first to think they reached safety.

The way shadows flicker around a fire, this demonic entity dances across the buildings. The few people brave enough to swing at the monster are either sliced in half, or find weapons clanging uselessly onto stone.

Once the stampeding crowd is corralled back before the dais, the shadow reforms behind Viserys. No longer massive and somewhat see through, it is only slightly larger than Left or Right.

The darkness is so thick now, it's almost solid and seems to even ripple against the sweltering wind. It tilts it's head back and screeches out a bone chilling cry, before lunging towards a crimson robed Vizier.

Viserys is in my brother's league, both among the best knights I have ever seen. But this thing moves like a snake thrusting a clawed hand right into his chest.

My horror changes to relieved shock when Viserys doesn't fall over dead. The shadow's claw shatters into a black mist, taking several seconds to rejoin the rest of the demon's body. Valyrian steel can hurt it!

Realizing it at the same time as I do, Viserys drops his hands to each hip. Swinging up with both of his axes, very visible rends are left in the shadow demon.

If I thought the first shriek was painful, this one manages to make me dizzy. I don't even know how, only feel an overwhelming pressure slam into me painfully.

He doesn't stop with his assault with one good hit. Viserys swings again and again, tearing chunks right off the creature.

It's not defenseless and after recovering from the shocking pain, the shadow starts to slash once again at Viserys. With a cunning intelligence, I watch it twist it's shape into a monstrous version of Coppernicus.

Now larger than an elephant, the creature fights with phantom claw and club tail. At least it doesn't seem able to breath, or everyone would be dead in seconds. The high buildings and narrow streets would funnel the searing ash across the city, choking the life from tens of thousands.

Moqorro comes up with something else that actually works, flinging glowing red coals from the temple brazier at the shadow dragon. Each one burns a hole in the monster and soon more priests join him in the attack.

When it can no longer hold it's shape, it condenses itself back into a vaguely man shape. It has a pair of massive horns still on it's head and keeps the sword like claws from before.

Enraged by the barrage of coals, the demon slams into Viserys with a powerful tackle. He skids across the stone and I realize I'm the only one close enough to react in time.

As the shadow claw swings for Viserys' fallen form, I barely manage to have Thorn raised in time to block the arm shaking blow. The claws are cut in half where my blade meets the shadow, getting another roar of pain from whatever this thing really is.

I try to defend both of us but move far too slow to even keep myself free from thin red lines appearing all across my body. In only a few seconds my defense shatters, leaving the shadow free to slash downwards with it's remaining claw.

I'm not fast enough to stop his throat from being opened by the claw, only to slam my blade into the shadow's face in revenge. As soon as I do, it shrieks and fades away in the sunlight. Viserys!

Even though I was standing right beside him, Moqorro has already reached Viserys' body. The priest with flaming tattoos cradles Visery's head in his lap and utters words of prayer. It's going to be a riot!

The crowd is silent at first but soon dark mutterings fill the plaza, waiting for Moqorro to tell everyone the obvious. No one could have lived after losing so much blood.

My eyes go to the pool of crimson spreading out from beneath him and Moqorro, spilling down the stairs as the mutters become a single unified gasp.

"That really hurt." Rasps out a very much alive Viserys, with one hand holding his throat closed. "I'm going to need stitches. You know how to sew, don't you Margaery?"

Moqorro helps him back to his feet and turns to the stunned crowd. "Now do you truly believe his promises!" Yeah… I kind of am.​

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 30: Awkward Adoption
Tyrion Lannister
​

Chroyane is a dreary place based on looks alone. Only half the buildings are safe enough to enter, with just as many only a pile of rubble.

A thick layer of fog fills the valley, keeping the light at twilight through the entire day. The people here are fanatically loyal to Rhaenys, who leads Gerold and I through her city with individual words of support towards many of her citizens. No idea how she can even tell anyone apart.

When it's explained we came at the behest of her brother and he is indeed the one who cure everyone, pledges of support flood in. Her people love her and yet mine are terrified of me.

Taking over for my unusual silence, Gerold asks about how she came to be here. I notice her eyes flicker with grief before she buries it once more. But I also see how my betrothed's eyes have been trained on the Darkstar since she landed on my ship.

My 'friend' is smirking back at her with unabashed arrogance. His own eyes keep switching between the sword at her hip and her chest.

"This Daemon…" Mention of a Blackfyre is enough to snap me out of my funk. "He's also a dragon rider?" Am I already too late in finding her? Is she happy without me?

She nods but doesn't really give me anything to go with. "He helped me survive after Quentyn…" Her face goes pale and her voice goes flat. "Died."

"How did that happen?" Gerold interrupts with a smirk, drawing Rhaenys' attention once more. "Why'd they kill such a valuable hostage?"

"They didn't," Admits a bitter Rhaenys. "I did."

Gerold and I exchange shocked glances while she leaves us behind in her march towards the dragons. I recover first and dash after Rhaenys before she can vanish in the fog.

"What happened?" I keep any judgment from my voice, knowing I've ordered far worse.

"Daemon was helping us escape and Quentyn was stabbing into the carriage." She looks at me with watery eyes, begging for permission to let them fall. "But I decided the fire wasn't spreading fast enough."

We get to the to dragons resting inside the remains of a couple house. The black one lays it's head back down with only a single command from Rhaenys, but the pale one is far more agitated.

"I know what wildfire looks like. Viserys and I sat beside it for hours, you can't forgot the sight of it." I realize what she means and wince, hoping the death was fast for the Martell boy. "He's not the only person I've burned either." The Dothraki don't cross the Rhoyne for a reason.

"I've had horrible things done in my name," I may have gotten distracted trying to make up for some of them, but you never left my thoughts. "Just so I could find you. You're the most important person in the world to me and I don't care what you've done."

Rhaenys frowns at me as Gerold can be heard clomping up through the much behind us"… Did Viserys tell you to say that?"

"What are you talking about?" I'm not telling him what I've done unless I have no choice.

"Nothing." She sighs when Gerold arrives. "It's jus-"

The Dayne walks right past us, his eyes transfixed on the silver dragon now unnaturally calm. "Who is this handsome devil?"

"Aegorian." Whispers a very concerned Rhaenys. "Don't get any closer, he's aggresi-"

Once again Gerold doesn't allow her to finish and walks right up to the apparently untamed dragon. His hand goes up with no fear and maybe a bit of idiocy, slowly extending towards Aegorian.

"Who rides him?" He asks Rhaenys without breaking eye contact with the silver dragon.

"No one," Mutters the angry Targaryen maiden. "But you are a Dayne."

I'm confused and not afraid to let it show. "What does being a Dayne suddenly have to do with riding a dragon?"

"Arthur Dayne was one of the three lives lost when the eggs hatched." Oh. "I think only a Martell, Mopatis, or a Dayne, can ever bond one of these dragons."

"You're going to give him a dragon!" That's insane! Unless she intends to marry Gerold to keep him loyal of course. That realization stings even worse than losing her to a Blackfyre would have.

"Aegorian is about to leave on his own," Admits Rhaenys with a sad smile. "This keeps him from killing innocent people." You really don't know the Darkstar.

Gerold snorts at the words. "I still want my family sword back."

"Then go help Daemon in the North," She fires back with renewing vigor. "If you can bring him and Aegorian back alive, while scattering the Dothraki,…" Considering the offer for a moment, it looks like Rhaenys nearly takes the words back. "You can have Dawn back."

"Consider it done. And Aegorian here is mine?" The Dayne knight I'm not even sure I can call a friend anymore almost purrs.

"If he lets you ride him," Growls Rhaenys as she watches Gerold do just that. "Daemon has the Valyrian words we're using to train them, ask to borrow it once you arrive."

With a calculating grin, Gerold decides he needs to be special. "Do they only respond to Valyrian, or can I use the Rhoynar tongue?"

She considers it and eventually shrugs. "… As long as you use the same word, the intent is what really matters."

"Good. I'm not wasting my time learning another language, not when I can use that time riding a fucking dragon!" He roars a word in Rhoynish with glee and the silver dragon understands his intent just fine.

With a flurry of wing beats, Aegorian lifts the pair into and through the fog. They vanish like ghosts and race North along the river I can't believe I once compared to the Blackwater.

"That's going to be a problem one day." I growl to Rhaenys after my shock fades. "He's one ambitious bastard, isn't going to settle for just his sword now that he has a dragon." Of course the handsome one gets a dragon.

She nods with a concerned frown of her own before giving me a hopeful smile. "Did you really come looking just for me?"

"Of course I did, you make me want to be a better man." And I couldn't live with the one I was turning into in your absence. "But the Tyrells did beat me to it and found Viserys first. No one ever told him you got taken the whole five years." Explaining my own efforts to him and me learning he genuinely had no idea, is the only reason we're able to move forward as friends.

"Who died to hatch Viserys' egg?" She gives a command in Valyrian that I can recognize as 'come', which has the ebony dragon approach carefully.

"According to everyone I asked…" I don't really believe him but he's earned a few secrets. I won't pry into this. "It was him."

Rhaenys's eyes match her dragon's scales and she holds out a hand for me. "I can finally go save Ar Noy from the Dothraki. Would you like to come, or are you needed here with the fleet?"

"Arnold can handle things just fine," I blurt out immediately. I'm not going to let the chance to ride a 'flying' dragon pass.

"Good. I was…" Her voice is suddenly tense when she remembers that only one saddle is on her dragon. "I hope you don't mind having to ride like a maiden."

"I'll tie myself to her tail If I must." I'm not going to miss this chance.

With a genuine giggle carving a layer of tension away, Rhaenys helps me climb onto Riannex's back. I tense up at first when I my back presses against her. But I do relax slightly when I realize her chest is quite flat, giving not pushing awkwardly against my head like I was first concerned about.

"When you say we're going to save a city…" I'm not sure how to phrase the question after her earlier mood. "How are we going to do that exactly?"

"Burn the Dothraki until they flee, surrender, or all of the warriors are dead." And yet she still manages to be less cruel than myself. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Challenge the leader to single combat and you can end this with a single death." Two if she counts the horse.

Rhaenys shifts behind me and snorts. "How do you know that?"

"I don't have much to do in the Stepstones except read of the places you might be." Any clue I got had me researching the region for local customs and common phrases. Only for the trail to be proven a dead end before I even manage to learn 'where is the crapper' properly.

"You mean Dragonstone?" She asks and I have to sigh even harder.

"King Stannis took it once Pentos said you died. He said the terms of the deal required I wed you." Oh. "Since that was thought impossible, he returned it to it's original role as his heir's seat."

Shifting beside me, she gives another command to her dragon. We rise above the fog and I can only see a dreary grey for miles.

Once the fog fades away in the Essosi sun, I get my first look at the Dothraki Sea. "Whoa…" It's breathtaking.

All the way to the horizon the wind ripples through every color of grass known. Greens, yellows, and reds are everywhere, but so to does bluegrass grow in patches visible from above. Even streaks of violet can be found hiding among the sea.

"You lost Dragonstone because I wouldn't come back?" I can hear the guilt in her voice.

"Well you seem to have made your own little Kingdom here," I keep my voice light in an attempt to ease the tension. "I could always just stay here with you once we get married."

Rhaenys freezes behind me for a good three seconds, filling me with seven different flavors of dread before she speaks again. "… You still want to marry me?"

I was only japing as a way to ease into the topic and give her a way out gracefully. But she actually sounds desperate for me to say yes, hope choking her voice with each word.

"Who else spent six years looking for you?" Well maybe some of the time was spent at the bottom of a bottle.​

 

[ThedudeManBro]

... Fuck those two are disgustingly cute together. Kudos for that, and kudos for this new year gift mate.

 

[Flightless Man]

... Fuck those two are disgustingly cute together. Kudos for that, and kudos for this new year gift mate.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, this was the one reunion I was really looking forward to writing. They both really needed each other.

Happy new years to you and all my readers. .

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 31: Waste Not
Viserys Ashtar
​

Inside the temple, Margaery stitches my throat closed in the 'safety' of the room given to me by Benerro. I try not not to twitch under her fingers and find her touch thankfully gentle.

"Thanks for doing this." Her reflection grimaces at the scarlet staining her fingers but she swallow her complaint. "I was worried someone else would try taking my head home with them."

The High Priest glares at the families of the Triarchs, demanding they remain silent with only a fiery look. "None of the faithful would dare harm you after that display." His eyes go hard as he explains why he brought the people I freed back into the temple. "The Triarchs bodies have been found drained of blood. Each one carved with words of power."

The children whimper in fear of what I will order done to them, while the wives and mistresses attempt to keep themselves between us. Yesterday the tears would have broken me in seconds and yet after my second revival… I'm barely stirred beyond a mild irritation.

"What language?" I already have a few guesses but actual clues will save a lot of time.

Margaery isn't happy and grabs a firm hold on my chin. "Stop moving around so much! Unless you want to be tilting to the left forever."

"Sorry." grabbing a knee with each hand, I try once more to remain still.

"The shadowbinder could have only come from Asshai or Qarth." Explains Benerro with another stern glare at the terrified families to remain quiet.

"Well let's hope it was the Undying getting upset I'm stealing the whole not dying thing." Asshai means I need to send envoys to Yi Ti first.

Tying off the end of the thread, Margaery steps back to examine her work from a distance. "Does it look like he's about to look over his shoulder?"

The widow of the Tiger Triarch starts in shock at being called on personally. "It's not my place to advise any longer."

Before Margaery says anything, I cough loud enough to bring all eyes back to me. "You're free now and unless Benerro has something to add right now, we're all being protected from the same people."

They killed the Triarchs to strike at me today. You lot are just more arrows to be shot at me if I don't keep you safe.

"Really?" One of the Elephant Triarch's mistress snorts at my words, her eyes darting over to Creb and Herbert standing guard outside the room. "They'll protect us just as intensely as they will you and your mistress?"

Assigning one of my Fourteen Flames to share a room with Margaery, has done nothing to help quell the rumors. Pulling Elyse away now will only make Margaery look disgraced in the eyes of the city.

"As long as you cooperate with the change in regime and find new ways for your families to make their fortunes." Otherwise I'll just ship you off to Westeros and let Gerion keep an eye on you for me.

"Now that I've made sure Viserys won't lose his head," Margaery chimes back in with a far kinder tone than my own growl. "We can go have supper and you can all be escorted home when the Fiery Hand returns."

I freed them but had more than enough gold to pay them to stay in my service and without needing to use the temple's wealth. I need the army to be mine and not directly answering to the Red Priests. Don't want them ordering genocide in my name… the end of one culture will be more than enough for me.

The Ironborn are a hard people and they never really tried to adapt to modern times. But knowing the Iron Islands have been split between the Wester and Riverlands, used to be something I regretted.

I never spent any time among them myself, so who am I to say the world is better off without them. In only a couple generations the old way will only be a story told to children.

Without my interference, they eventually managed to adapt. But now my waves have sunk the entire culture. That's how I felt yesterday. Now, I'm only relieved that a possible threat is already dealt with before it can stab me in the back.

"Vizier?" The youngest son of the last dead Triarch keeps his eyes downcast and his voice respectful. "Will my father come back to life like you did?"

His hope actually manages to pierce my cooling heart and stokes some life back to my inner fire. It's not enough to feel normal again, just enough to know a difference exists.

Only one way to know for sure, so I turn to Benerro with curiosity. "Did the bodies receive the Last Kiss?"

"Along with everyone else who was killed by the shadow. None of them revived." He gives the bronze haired boy a blunt answer, not even trying to lighten the blow. Something else I should care about and yet I really don't.

"But you came back," The boy pleads pitifully and I know I'll find myself grateful for the emotional distance one day. "Why can't you ask R'hllor to bring Father back?"

"It doesn't work like that." The words slip out before I can craft a diplomatic answer.

While the families hopes drop, I have a stunning realization. No one else in living memory has come back to life.

It's the one question everybody wants an answer to, no matter how much they may claim indifference. What comes after?

"Supper is still a ways off…" I trail off with a smirk forming. "I have time to tell you what I saw. If that's something you're interested in of course?"

The excited cries from everyone are nothing compared to the deafening 'yes' that comes from Benerro. Blinking in a fair amount of shock, I hold up a hand to calm him down.

"Alright. But remember, this is only what I saw." That should be just enough plausible deniability, just in case someone else does get back up after dying. "Or should I saw experienced." That draws them in and everyone leans forward eager for more.

"I was in a completely cavern…" I hold in the smile at how easily they soak in my words. "I was being judged and it was between several destinations, each one at the end of a tunnel." Vague enough that I have wiggle room later.

"When Thoros performed the Last Kiss on me in Valyria, I had only a split second of fire to light the place. Saw a pretty long line behind and before me." That has Benerro almost bouncing on his toes in excitement, somehow managing to stop himself from interrupting me.

Reaching up to stroke the stitches absentmindedly, I draw my audience in with my 'forbidden' knowledge. "When it happened again today, I was brought to the front of the line. Still didn't see the one doing the judging… but what needs to be done was only made more clear to me."

I need to stay out of Stannis' way and get him as much help as Essos can offer. "When the Red Comet crosses the sky, that is R'hllor's signal that Night is falling. I only have a few years to gather as much fuel for the fire as I can." Calling people fuel is dark I admit, but not something I'm above doing to myself.

"How much of my blood did the priests manage to collect off the dais?" King's blood has power and I lost a whole lot of it today.

"More than enough to track down your killer," Benerro answers with a cocky grin of his own. "Shadows will be useless against the phoenix, no matter how large they make them."

Well now I'm the intrigued one. "Aren't those the fire birds that are reborn from their ashes?" I wasn't aware they existed, I could find no record of them in Valyria.

"They will keep reforming until they have found and incinerated the target. Even if it takes years to find them." Answers the smug First Flame.

That sounds terrifying, but not actually very useful. "Why would it take so long, are they tracking them like a normal bird?"

"Water in the River Rhoyne and the seas, seems to disorient their sense of direction." He admits with an embarrassed sigh. "Or that is what the texts say about them. We haven't performed a summing since the Century of Blood came to an end."

"I do need to talk to Marywn and teach my class," I'm going to have Margaery sit in with me and have her order for food sent to Asha. "I can see if the Maester's have any information, maybe even set up your own line of communication with them. I assume you have a glass candle?"

It isn't going to be enough food to stop the shortage that will be hitting in a few months time. But it will delay them.

"Why don't you share the compasses with the fishermen?" Margaery adds with a nose crinkled in thought. "They'd be able to fish out of sight of shore. It should at least triple the haul."

I showed people how to make them and kind of just forgot about the simple magnetic needles. But she's right, why haven't I been taking advantage of them?

"I'm not giving you back to Garlan." I lock eyes with her and wink. "He can do his own taxes."​

 

[kanoon]

Well if you were still worried about your SI coming off as overpowered here's another thing to show he's really not at all. On a personal level he's kinda underpowered as just an average dude with radioactive dragon blood not seemingly doing anything for him and some magic armor. Can he do any actual magic?

So either one person or a group of magicians somehow got past everything in the city without any problems including the previous leaders families (who may or may not be in the same place) and then also had enough time to cast an apparently complex ritual to bring a shadow dragon to kill the SI, which also takes multiple magic attacks. I don't know if i buy that. Was his dragon just hiding during the whole thing, it did not even try to breathe ash at it? Also, he immediately died again and what, had part of his soul and emotions shredded off to come back? (apparently theres a cost and it was the entire soul of original viserys the first time) I mean at least he has an entire organization of pyromancer healers behind him now or at least until their demon soul sacrificing fire god starts sending messages to its fanatics to kill him again since I don't think your character likes slavery or soul sacrifice or their god at all.

 

[Flightless Man]

Well if you were still worried about your SI coming off as overpowered here's another thing to show he's really not at all. On a personal level he's kinda underpowered as just an average dude with radioactive dragon blood not seemingly doing anything for him and some magic armor. Can he do any actual magic?

So either one person or a group of magicians somehow got past everything in the city without any problems including the previous leaders families (who may or may not be in the same place) and then also had enough time to cast an apparently complex ritual to bring a shadow dragon to kill the SI, which also takes multiple magic attacks. I don't know if i buy that. Was his dragon just hiding during the whole thing, it did not even try to breathe ash at it? Also, he immediately died again and what, had part of his soul and emotions shredded off to come back? (apparently theres a cost and it was the entire soul of original viserys the first time) I mean at least he has an entire organization of pyromancer healers behind him now or at least until their demon soul sacrificing fire god starts sending messages to its fanatics to kill him again since I don't think your character likes slavery or soul sacrifice or their god at all.

Click to shrink...

the Radioactive blood has given him a polyglot style of ability, a way for any slaves to obey the master when it was originally created. He can do a few dragon based spells like sharing his senses with the dragon/sharing energy/limp fall, he is also in the top 10% of fighters (He received training from Selmy and Sandor), even if he still thinks he's only above average.

It was a shadow baby like the one used against Renly, only it was bigger because it had three triarchs used instead of only some leeched blood/stannis' life force. It took Coppernicus' shadow when it took the dragon shape, Coppernicus was partially cowed by he screaming crowd (he hates loud noises) and partly Viserys not wanting hot ash/wild club tail killing the innocent people crowding around. The person(s) responsible were already in the city, got inside during the slave riot the day before. Since the Triarchs died in the Red Temple, odds are good that someone was involved in trying to have me killed.

The words of power, are only to make the shadows combine instead of coming as 3 seperate ones. The shadow didn't take any magical attacks, it took enchanted damage (in video game terms). It had holy embers burning some holes in it and the Valyrian steel carved pieces off of it, making it grow fainter at he large size. It reduced size but this made it's center mass small enough to kill.

Viserys didn't immedietly die, his VS mail armor did what Frodo/Bilbo's did and stopped all the center mass attacks from killing him. He lasted about 30 seconds (max) and then died. Each time Beric came back, he lost more of himself. I think of it like my campfire wentout becuse of some rain, but the wood is still warm. Moqorro used one of his soul's burning logs and put it in my campfire. I'm alive again, but it takes a while for the soul to "grow back" fully.

Original Viserys dying, was me being my own willing sacrifice to hatch the dragon, since I established when I took over Viserys' body, original Viserys' soul was reduced. Was more of an imprint of what was left of canon Viserys that died, not a full soul dying.

Benerro never raised his hand when I asked who saw me in the flames. His belief in me is new and only genuine after he saw my second revival. Very good catch on R'hllor visions being used against me in the future possibly, Viserys is hoping all the converts to the Red Faith will stop R'hllor from doing so (War prisoners who convert are freed from becoming Serfs). I'm against slavery, but can't change several cultures over night and expect it to stick. I can't abolish slavery and only live in one city, or what happened in slaver's bay will happen in Volantis and it's 3 settlements. Viserys is trying to replace an atrocious system with a subpar one (that can look really good for a generation or two in comparison to what exists already.).

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Kek it boggles my mind and discombobulates my senses when you jump between 1st and 3rd person like that

 

[Flightless Man]

Kek it boggles my mind and discombobulates my senses when you jump between 1st and 3rd person like that

Click to shrink...

I honestly don't even realize I'm doing it. But wow that makes me look crazy lol.

 

[Flightless Man]

Chapter 32: Campaigning For The Crown
Daenerys Tully
​

As soon as Viserion lands in the courtyard of Riverrun, I call out a greeting to my glowering Uncle Brynden. While Joffrey and I climb down as gracefully as we can manage, I realize almost the entire guard contingent is watching with terror filled eyes.

Almost thirty crossbowmen lower their arms with relief when they recognize me and Viserion relaxes. "It's alright everyone! Viserion won't hurt you as long as you give him his space."

"As happy as I am to see you Dany…" Uncle Brynden doesn't take his eyes off of my brother's namesake. "I'm going to need some answers."

"I know I said I wouldn't come South of the Neck with him," I acknowledge with what I refuse to admit was a whine. "But it's okay now. I'm with Prince Joffrey and his brother has a dragon of his own now."

The news only upsets him more, my Uncle's eyes hardening by the second as he holds open his arms. "So Lord Tywin's raven spoke true words?"

"That my sister is missing and Mother has decided to give the crown to a six year old?" Growls Joffrey while I'm held tight in Brynden's arms. "Yes and I hope I can count on your support in the days to come."

"We're at war with Pentos," Cautions my uncle as we break apart. "Not really a good time to start a civil war…" He stops and reconsiders his words. "Or maybe it is, if you don't care about the people you intend to rule."

That's not fair, Joffrey's being treated like he's his mother. "Joffrey wants to have a Great Council. So much has changed, not the least of which is having three kings die in just over a decade."

"We're going to Oldtown so we can get help tracking down Viserys." My brother is the one who made the succesion such a mess, he should help straighten it out once the war is over. "The Tyrell's know where he is and the Maester's can help us prepare for the council."

With a grateful smile, Joffrey follows us into the red stone castle."It's not like Pentos is going to be able to last long by themselves. That gives us time to find him before my mother can secure Orys illegitimate rule in the eyes of the realm."

"You've decided to support him?" Brynden gives me a look of consideration. "… Why?"

"Viserys and Aegon both gave up the crown, Rhaenys is dead, and even Jenn ran away from the responsibility." I'm the last legitimate Targaryen from Aerys' line who hasn't given up the crown personally.

Joffrey came looking for a bride and it would only make both our claims stronger at the Great Council. I had briefly considered making a play for the throne myself. But Viserys loved Joffrey, my fondness for him can grow into love one day.

"Joffrey and I have the strongest claims alone, together it should be a nearly unanimous vote." The prince stumbles behind me at the words.

"Do you really mean it?" Hope rings in his voice and I smile back over my shoulder at him.

"You're mother is taking the crown because Orys has a dragon," I smirk at Joffrey and think back to how long it will take a newly hatched dragon to be ride-able. "If we marry, don't we share everything?" About a full year before it's more than a quick up and down. "Because Viserion is already five years old and can easily fly us both. We can pretend he's listening to you sometimes."

It's not the talk of rebellion or a Great Council that makes my uncle sputter in concern. No, of course not. Only when I talk about marriage so easily does the Blackfish react.

"What are you talking about?" His eyes narrow on Joffrey who realizes how unprotected he is with Ser Vance back on Skagos. "Marriage?"

"It's why his mother sent him North in the first place, to choose between Jennelyn and myself." I try to distract Uncle Brynden, but his stare remains focused on the frightened prince. "It's why she and Duncan both ran away, after Jenn's dragon…"

"What happened Dany?" A warm hand on my shoulder pulls me in for another desperately needed hug. "Did someone get hurt?"

I can't bring myself to say the words and thankfully Joffrey saves me from having to try any longer. "Robb Stark died saving his sister Sansa, she was blinded by the flames."

The three of us stand frozen outside the great hall for what feels like an hour. My uncle's eyes dart back and forth between us with a wild frenzy.

"I need to send a raven to your sister…" He finally mumbles to himself and walks right past the door, heading for his newly finished study. "Just make sure you aren't letting your brother pressure you into this. Take it from me, it's not worth it."

"I haven't even asked her yet!" Blurts out Joffrey, both hands rising defensively between him and the scowling Blackfish. "This is all her idea, I swear!"

After a few more moments of stern evaluation my Uncle relents in his intimidation attempt, suddenly giving me a warm smile. "Well if that's what my princess wants. I guess we better talk about your plans for the Council before you two leave."

"The North should back me and I hope the Stormlands can be made to see reason." Joffrey offers with a desperate plea for help in his voice. "I hope to convince my Uncle Jaime this is what Viserys wanted. He still refuses to truly acknowledge anyone else as his King."

"I know Uncle Tyrion can barely stand Mother and the Tyrells have already rebelled once." He keeps going with an encouraging nod from my uncle. "I need to get them on my side before anyone else considers it."

"Eat and spend some time with your siblings. Jaenaera can finally show you her new hair, she's quite proud of the color." My uncle dismisses us with a grunt, his mind going back to the letter he must write. "We can talk once they go to bed and I can make a final decision on your great big plans."

Once he's gone, Joffrey takes a few deep breaths and turns to me. "Will you help me look for Shireen after we find Viserys?"

"Of course I will." I nod firmly and push the cedar doors open. "I'm sorry if Baelor bothers you, but he's going to ask you for stories about Viserys."

I wish I could myself and not seem like a desperate child. It's hard to remember what Viserys even looks like anymore.

"If you really mean what you said about marrying me, I'll spend the entire time we're here telling him every single story I can remember." Pure gratitude in in his eyes as we walk towards the head table.

Like expected Baelor is first out of his chair and racing to bet his twin to me. Jaenaera is only a few paces behind him, her beet purple hair done into ringlets and bouncing with each step.

"Dany!" She pushes her way past our brother. "Did you really bring your dragon? Will you finally take us flying on Viserion?"

"In the morning, he needs to rest right now." And I want a warm meal and a soft bed.

Huddling with Joffrey under the one blanket at least showed he can keep his hands to himself. In the end it was me who needed to pull his body closer. If I didn't, he would have gotten the shivers by morning. He's really not built for the cold at all.

"Who's this?" Baelor points a thumb at Joffrey and frowns. "I thought you said Duncan and Gendry both have black hair."

I can see Joffrey fume at the comparison to Gendry and step in to spare him any more. "Prince Joffrey Baratheon, my betrothed. He's going to help me find Viserys."

That last bit seems to do the trick, with both twins eyes going wide in awe. Baelor purses his lips after a few seconds and nods slowly.

"Alright. I guess I approve of him them." He's trying so hard to be lordly that I hide my smile behind a hand.

"But if Viserion has any eggs, we get ours first." My little sister chimes in with crossed arms and a fierce glare leveled at me. "You promised!"

​

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Kek. Even in an AU, a Dany/Joff pairing is cursed AF.
Hopefully they don't keel over dead from curse overload before Big Daddy V R'hyllorcopter's into the scene.

 

[Vanbers]

Kek. Even in an AU, a Dany/Joff pairing is cursed AF.
Hopefully they don't keel over dead from curse overload before Big Daddy V R'hyllorcopter's into the scene.

Click to shrink...

No, see, it's brilliant, all the curses are going to be like Mr. burns diseases! How cunning!

 

[Flightless Man]

Kek. Even in an AU, a Dany/Joff pairing is cursed AF.
Hopefully they don't keel over dead from curse overload before Big Daddy V R'hyllorcopter's into the scene.

Click to shrink...

Weirdly, if the curse Viserys is yelling about is real, Joffrey is the only candidate with no dragon blood. He may be safe, though Dany wouldn't be..

No, see, it's brilliant, all the curses are going to be like Mr. burns diseases! How cunning!

Click to shrink...

You have no idea how often I picture this scene.