Dragons and Wolves

Jon sat in the Queen’s sitting room, waiting for her to be done with her meeting. In his hands, he held the list of men that had chosen to take the black. Rapists, murderers, thieves….. the scum of the earth that the laws of the land gave a choice.

After his chilling his dream, he had asked the guards of the castle to send him to the Queen’s Hand, Jorah Mormont but he had been told that the man would be unavailable to meet.

He had even offered to come back the next day but the guards had insisted that he must meet with the queen herself. The three pushy women had all but dragged him into the Queen’s sitting room.

He sat for what seemed like ages, he looked around observing the chamber. Large bookcases filled with books in languages he didn’t understand. Complicated maps on her desk written in some sort of mathematical script.

He was starting to feel stupid.

Two things stuck out to him, two paintings one on the wall to his left and the other to his right. One held a younger Queen Daenerys and an older boy who looked related to her, her brother perhaps? He was trying to remember the tale from his child, if there had been another brother besides Rhaegar.

The other held a tall Dothraki man and the Queen. It looked like a wedding portrait, the Queen wore a nearly transparent silvery gown and the man had a giant, possessive hand low on her hip. She looked terrified.

Looking so terrified she was almost unrecognizable.

The slamming of the chamber thick wooden doors jarred Jon from his thoughts. The queen stormed in, enraged she tore books off the wall and screeched. Torn paper floated around the room.

“Queen Daenerys?” He asked, shocked at her behavior.

She froze and looked up, wide-eyed and embarrassed, she cursed, “Dammit, it would be you to see me like this wouldn’t it?”

“What?” He asked, surely not hearing her right. Wanting to know what she meant. Remember the dream, remember the dream.

A strangled breath escape her lips as she attempted to compose herself, “Nothing, I’m sorry you had to see that. What you must think of me now.”

He stood, remembering his manners, for a man does not sit until a lady does. Sansa would be so proud.

She walked around him, toward her chair on the other side of her desk and he finally noticed what she was wearing. A gaudy crimson dress and an equally obnoxious golden crown shaped like dragons horns.

He coughed, “I don’t think less of you, only that something terrible must have happened.”

She took her seat and Jon followed suit.

The door clicked open again before she could respond, a servant girl with a tea pot and two cups.

The baby dragon Rhaego nipped at the girls ankles, following her into the room. The little creature, unable to fly, clawed its way up the side of the desk, nicking the wood. Daenerys instantly calmed at the presence of Rhaego, she scooped him into her arms.

The room was silent as the servant poured the tea, at Queen Daenerys thanks the girl left the room, only then did the conversation resume.

“I’ll tell you exactly what happened, only because I know it will spread around King’s Landing like dragon fire,” She sighed. “A man claiming to be my eldest Rhaegar’s son has appeared to demand his rightful throne. He looks the part and even has a Targaryen sword.”

“So what, he can’t prove his parentage, silver hair and lavender eyes are rare but not only in the Targaryen line and anyone can buy or steel a sword.”

“You sound like Jorah,” She gave him a slight smile, it wasn’t a happy one, “There is a way to prove it though, if he can survive fire then he must be a true Targaryen. Though the chances are slim he’ll survive, even my older brother didn’t.”

She looked to the portrait on the wall.

“How did your brother die,” He couldn’t help but ask.

“My brother sold me to a Dothraki warlord for an army to win back his crown. He was exceedingly impatient, even attacking me when I was pregnant to try to force the Dothraki to do his bidding. My husband didn’t take the abuse of his wife and unborn child well and gave my brother the crown he lusted after. Though not the crown he wanted, he got molten gold poured on his head,” Daenerys sighed.

“I’m sorry milady,” He thought it was the right thing to say, even though he agreed one hundred percent with her Dothraki husband. “But if your own brother couldn’t survive what makes you think this stranger will?”

“It’s the possibilities of what will happen on the slim chance he does survive,” She sighed and put her head in her hands. Rhaego climbed up her shoulder and nipped her ear to get attention, “I’ll lose everything I worked for, my throne, my home, my title.”

“How can you say that? You won this throne, all of your support won’t just automatically go to this man,” Jon argued.

“Oh I had no idea you were so naïve commander Snow, “ A humorless chuckle escaped the Queen’s rosy lips, “I am a woman, a woman who can’t have children and refuses to marry. Of course all of my supporters will rally to a man. If I’m lucky this man will try to continue the Targaryen tradition of old, marrying within the family but will probably have me killed once he finds out I can’t have children.”

Jon stared wide eyed, shocked at what she was telling him, the trust she was putting in him.

She seemed to realize to, meeting his dark eyes with her lavender ones, “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, perhaps because Jorah refuses to listen even on the off chance this man truly is related to me nonetheless I’m sorry I vented to you. I shouldn’t have told you so much.”

“It is quite alright, m’lady,” Jon answered, “I understand more than you know.”

The Queen gave him a curious look before sighing, “Now what is the true reason you were waiting in my sitting room?”

Jon had nearly forgotten, raising the hand with the list he handed it to her. Hearing the Queen’s story had made him grip his fists so hard that the paper was crumpled and nearly ripped ,”The list of men I wish to take North.”

“Aye,” Her luminescent eyes grazed the list, “Not many decided to take the black did they?
Unfortunate. These men would rather take the gallows.”

“It’s not surprising, many men would rather die than face a life freezing and celibate” Jon replied, he was honestly surprised even ten wanted to take the Black.

“Then why did you purposely take the black?” She wondered aloud, he could tell she was just asking to get her mind off of the impending roast of her ‘nephew’.

He wondered how she knew that, he gave a slight grin, she had done her research on him. He decided he would be completely honest with her, even though part of him knew it wasn’t smart. Just because they playing at being nice didn’t mean they truly were. Even if they could talk and begrudgingly enjoy each other’s company it didn’t negate the fact the Queen wanted the North for her own.

And he would never give it to her.

Until Rickon came of age, it was his land to protect and he wouldn’t let his little brother down.
He sighed and started his story, “My uncle Benjen Stark was a ranger, a warrior of the Watch, being a bastard, I knew I’d never hold a position of honor in Winterfell, instead at his suggestion I took the black and made a name for myself.”

“Why do you call yourself a bastard in such a way? It’s an insult,” Daenerys asked.

“A man once told me that I should wear it as a badge of honor, that the world wouldn’t forget what I was so why should I?”

“Sounds like a wise man,” She whispered.

He snickered,”You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew who said it.”

“Who?”

“Tyrion Lannister, son to Tywin Lannister who killed your father and your sister-in-law under his orders,” Jon explained.

She gave an angry sigh, “You were right, I sure don’t like it, nonetheless isn’t he the Tyrion Lannister who killed his father? I believe I’d quite like the man.”

Her angry expression turned into a wry grin, transforming her face into one more beautiful than Sansa and Val, his wilding friend, combined.

He laughed, “The man does grow on you.”

They seemed to realize they were laughing together and immediately stopped.

After a moment of awkward silence Jon coughed, “Well if I have your approval I’ll set out with my charges tonight.”

“Alright then,” She nodded, giving him a curious look, “I’ll have my Unsullied escort you and these men out of the city, for obvious reasons.”

“Aye your majesty,” He nodded turning to leave.

When he reached the door frame she called out to his, “Commander Snow—Jon, thanks for listening today.”

“It was my pleasure,” Jon smiled and left the room.

He waiting until the wooden door clicked shut before he broke into a run down the stone corridors of
the castle. What was he doing? What was he thinking? After that terrifying dream the night before, he shouldn’t have been so friendly.
He was just hurting himself.
She was a Queen.
He was just a low crow, sworn to a life of poverty and celibacy.
He didn’t deserve her and he never would.

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Arya and Gendry stood at the great gate of King’s Landing. She had a makeshift pack tied over her back and shawl wrapped around her shoulders partially covering her face in case anyone recognized her.

“Well Arry, it’s been quite a trip down memory lane seeing you again,” The tall man gave her an awkward hug, his face was strained and she couldn’t read the emotion behind it.

“Same to you, Gendry,” She sighed. “You know you can come with me, make the trip North for old time’s sake. You know but make it to our intended destination this time.”

“You know I can’t I own a smith here,” He looked shocked at the suggestion and was that a wee bit of hopefulness she detected?

She put her hands on her hips, “So you’re going to let me a lady journey that far alone by myself, what does the gentleman in you think about that?”

“I’m not falling into your guilt trip, despite the fact that we both know you are just fine on your own, I am worried about your safety,” Gendry slicked a rough hand through his hair and gave her an irritated look.

“Fine, I know I shouldn’t have asked in the first place,” A smirk stretching across her lips, “Take care of yourself old friend.”

She turned to leave and a rough, calloused hand pulled her back. She almost tripped over her own feet but Gendry pulled her in close and kissed her.

Eyes wide she waited for him to stop, heart thumping madly against her chest. The second his hands let go of her she did what she did to him ten years go.

She ran away from him.