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I looked at Missandei's face that was full of pain. Ghost was currently taking long circles around the two of us. It was as if the thing troubling Missandei caused the direwolf to act as her guard. As long as I was with her, that was. She was right to fear as Westeros was a mostly white continent and people tended to fear what was unknown to them. This added with how much my fellow Northerners distrusted outsiders and those connected with Targaryens meant my friend was not receiving a warm welcome.
At least when the Northerners showed their dislike of Khaleesi, there was no chance harm might come to her because of it. At least not in the same forward manner harm could come to Missandei.
"I'll be glad to be going back South." Missandei said and pulled her coat close to her. "It's warmer and I will be getting different glances."
"They will grow used to you, Missandei." I reassured her. "The North does not like outsiders and loathes House Targaryen even more."
"Because our queen's House took away their freedom."
"Yes."
"So I'll have to endure their looks until Daenerys sits on the Iron Throne?"
"All of Westeros will need to get used to you. But once they realize that Daenerys has their best interests at heart, all of those connected to her will be shown the appropriate level of respect."
I hoped that would be the case. The looks the Westerosi people had given Missandei nearly sent me into a rage. She had been captured and sold as a slave. A slave who had no freedom until Khaleesi had taken her in. Now the pair were close friends. And since Missandei was close to Khaleesi, she was also close to me. An insult to her was an insult against me.
Now that I was king, it was a more serious matter to have insults thrown my way.
"Ghost seems worried for me." Missandei said softly.
"He is afraid because I fear for you." I replied. "Direwolves are intelligent creatures so he might be keeping attackers away. I'll be sure to leave guards around you if you feel you need added protection."
"That will be comforting."
"Then it shall be done."
Missandei's lips formed a faint smile. She was still worried but trusted I had her best interests at heart. Khaleesi had been too caught up in her own troubles to focus on everything. Her friend had been silent about her troubles to me until today. Had she felt embarrassed? Was there a part of her that though Khaleesi would fail her in her moment of need? Surely it was a pride thing.
"Grey Worm and I were thinking of going close to my home after Daenerys claims the Iron Throne." Missandei said. "The butterflies on Naath would kill him if he were to go on the island. So we were thinking of going as close as we could. We both want to feel accepted."
"I understand." I replied. "Have you told Daenerys this?"
"I'm not sure what we're going to do afterwards. She is already dealing with feeling abandoned, I don't want to add to her fears. You shouldn't be bothering with me now."
"Why not?"
"The meeting."
"Ah."
As we continued our walk, I made sure to pick out a few Unsullied to guard Missandei.
* * *
In the meeting there was everyone that held a position of leadership or was a trusted advisor. Such as Tyrion Lannister was not a leader but he was the Hand of the Queen. We looked at each other briefly before Sansa started to talk. Both of us knew Khaleesi was a fierce warrior, but had trouble dealing with politics.
"We all thank you for your contributions in fighting against the dead, Queen Daenerys Targaryen." Sansa began. "We also all think you chose a wise king in Jorah Mormont. A Northerner who has done everything for the woman he loves."
As always Sansa's sounded simple but had layers of meaning underneath. It was clear that the Stark did not want to relinquish the North's freedom and was unhappy her cousin had bent the knee to a Targaryen. Any resistance on her part was born not out of hate, but out of a motherly need to protect her home.
"If not for you, Daenerys," Sansa continued. "All of humanity would have been made slaves of the Night King. Our king slayed the Night King with help from Jon Stark, Arya Stark, and Tormund Giantsbane. It was also Jorah whose sword Melisandre used to slaughter all of the dead."
"I could not let a people fall into bondage." Daenerys said and Ghost pressed himself close to me.
Was he afraid of Khaleesi messing this meeting up? I wanted to scratch behind his ears but doing so now would be a sign of weakness. While I doubted Sansa hated me on a personal level, I was king now. If she felt betraying me would ensure the North's safety, I had no doubt any sign of weakness would be used against me.
"The North is my home, Lady Stark," I said as I pushed any fear to the back of my mind. "I could not let Winterfell fall into such evil clutches."
Hopefully Sansa would take my statement as a declaration to my continued loyalty to my home. That even though I was now King of the Seven Kingdoms and would soon be married to a Targaryen, my life would always belong to the North.
Sansa gave me a look that I couldn't read. It was a glare and it went straight into my soul. Of course she would be interested to know if I had spoken from my heart. For far too long she had been the plaything of other men using her for their own games. Yet I felt there was another reason for her to be so interested in me. What other reason could there be for her to look at me so?
"I am not sure a meeting was called just so we could compliment each other." Tyrion said dryly.
"No, it was not called for that reason." Daenerys agreed. "This meeting was called so that we could discuss what to do next. The war against the Night King is over but Cersei Lannister still holds the Iron Throne. Since we were able to defeat the greatest enemy ever known, this should not be a problem for any of us. I have two dragons and the fiercest armies at my back."
"There is no doubt of that, Your Grace," Varys replied politely. "Yet to win against the Night King meant countless men lost their lives. We do not have the same number of men we came to the North with. There are also those who deserted you at your greatest moment of need. They avoided Winterfell since you decided to fight the Night King."
I resisted grasping the hilt of Heartsbane in response. How dare people abandon the fight for life. If the battle of Winterfell had been lost then there would be nowhere left to run to. The deserters should be dealt with by beheading. But I was sure my love would want to burn them all alive.
"I will deal with those who fled from their queen." Daenerys said. "I will not allow those who abandoned myself and Westeros at its time of need to go unpunished. We could have seen fewer loses if no one had fled from their duty."
"I agree that any deserter should not go unpunished." Jon replied. "But we must remember why they didn't come to Winterfell. The Night King is a myth in the North and is a story used to scare children. Most deserters must have seen an enemy that didn't exist and a Targaryen queen."
"And that excuses them?"
"No, it doesn't. But I am certain that once the North sees who you truly are, they will not flee from your side. They will see a queen worth dying for."
"You are an outsider in Westeros, Daenerys," I added gently. "You will have to earn your title of queen just as you did in Essos. Those who see your works will quickly come to realize that you have the best interests of the smallfolk in your mind. They will come to realize that a great age of Westeros will begin once you sit on the Iron Throne. Those who still doubt you should be punished for their insolence."
Khaleesi looked at me and replied with a slight nod. She would have to earn the Iron Throne as it was not something that was merely handed over. She would battle her darkness and come out stronger. Already she was a worthy ruler but she would one day become something greater than she was now. Jon looked at me with a thankful look on his face. If I hadn't agreed with him, he knew our queen would have sided with me.
I looked across to Sansa and saw something behind her eyes. Maybe it was because of my friendship with Jon, but I was able to tell that a scheme was forming in her head. Not one to bring Khaleesi down, but one to test her. Unfortunately there was no way to warn my love of what might happen.
"Your Graces, you must be tried as are your troops." Sansa said with kindness in her voice. "You journeyed from Essos all the way to Winterfell. You fought bravely to come here and defend the living. House Stark would be more than honored to give you enough time to recover your strength to win the Iron Throne."
The Stark girl was able to care and I was sure in some part of her mind she was trying to help out a political ally. She had gone through trials and tribulations that had tested her ability to remain human. The look she gave me had a tint of sadness to it. Did she care for me merely because I was such good friends with Jon? Was the reason she wanted Khaleesi's troops to rest was so I wouldn't be too stressed for the upcoming war?
If we hadn't been in a meeting I would have been forthcoming with reassurances to ease her mind. Jon and I could travel for months while still being ready for battle. It would be good to see him battling on Rhaegal and the fear in Cersei's eyes at the realization there were now two dragonriders in the world would help fuel my bloodlust.
"Rhaegal wants to go back south now." Jon added with sympathy in his voice. "But I'm tired of all the fighting. I spent years of my life preparing to battle the Night King. Now he is gone and I'm worn out. No matter what you decide, I will follow you. I am merely a servant to your wishes."
"But when I sit on the Iron Throne you'll return North?" Daenerys asked.
"The North needs a warden to make sure your commands are obeyed."
The North was Jon's home and I knew he was loathed to leave it. He was more at home beyond the Wall than he was in King's Landing. He would hide behind his duties as Warden of the North to avoid having to live where the weather was warm. I had to hide a smile at my amusement at how no one in the room, except Ghost and Sansa, would see his fear. A brief glance at Daenerys reassured me she didn't read anything deep into Jon's words.
Ghost started pacing the room as if he was aware of the politics going on around him. It wouldn't surprise me if the direwolf had some inkling of human matters. The species was revered for a very good reason. They weren't like any other wolves a man might run across in the world.
"We are grateful for the offer, Lady Sansa." I said to indicate to Khaleesi which option I thought we should choose.
I was merely the King and not the one who would be sitting on the Iron Throne in short time. Whatever option she chose would be up to her in the end. My love was wise beyond her years and yet was still young. She had been fighting to get to the Iron Throne for long enough it must seem like lifetimes to her.
"For days now there has been news coming from the South about Cersei's supporters leaving her side." Tyrion said. "The only true ally she has now is Euron Greyjoy who is a formidable enemy we need to prepare for. Going to Dragonstone will mean entering a battlefield he is at home in. He was made for the sea just as your children were made for the air."
"So you suggest I am a coward?" Daenerys asked.
"Of course not, Your Grace. I am merely saying we should look beyond our immediate emotions. We all need to realize that the longer we wait the less allies my sister will have at her side. She does not have your ability to draw people to her as many in Westeros are now aware of how cruel she is."
Tyrion had a sound strategy even though he could usually be found drunk. Staying in Winterfell for a longer time than planned would mean Khaleesi's troops would both be well rested and Cersei would be without allies. If we waited long enough it could be that the citizens of King's Landing would just open the city up to us. Possibly even bringing the fallen queen to be executed in a manner that would suit my wife.
"Euron is a Greyjoy." I said. "Not only is he a Greyjoy, but a more formidable one than most. As he is working with Cersei he could be supplied with weapons other men would not have. It is very likely he has scorpion bolts and will be waiting for us at Dragonstone. As Cersei is losing allies, now is a perfect time to have our troops well rested so that we won't lose against him. If there is one enemy that could defeat you, it is him."
"And how certain are you that she will not be able to trick people into supporting her again?" Khaleesi asked.
"I know my sister, Your Grace." Tyrion replied. "She is cruel and manipulative, but she has her limits. It is one thing for her to trick people into supporting her and another thing for her to regain the trust of others. There must have been some that only supported her as they believed her to be the only choice. Those people will hate her and stand behind anyone who can kill her."
"You were wrong about her before."
"I have learned from my mistakes."
Tyrion had been wrong to think that Cersei had the ability to have a heart. It might be true that she actually loved her children, but that same perverted love would not be given to the true rulers of the Iron Throne. She would do anything within her power to protect her unborn child, but that did not mean sending troops to Winterfell. That strategy, strangely, had worked for her.
I wanted to believe Khaleesi had figured out Sansa's plan by this point of the meeting. But if my love had why continue to argue? Over the years I had figured out when she was bluffing and when she wasn't. Right now she was being honest and thought Lady Stark was being open about accepting any answer. My love did not realize the danger she was in.
"Daenerys, our troops need to rest." I said and tried to keep the plea out of my voice. "I have tried to not force my opinion on you as you are the queen and me merely your king. I have tried to put my humility first but I fear if I continue, you will make a grave mistake. Our troops need to rest so they will be at full strength to help you win the Iron Throne. We also need more time to figure out a winning strategy. We need to stay here for the aforementioned reasons and the fact we need Cersei to lose her allies. If she loses enough allies all you will have to do is appear before the gates of King's Landing."
Was I crossing a line? Was I being too forward? Would I be reprimanded later? Would Sansa know Khaleesi was weak enough that I had to be extremely direct in politically sensitive situations? Had I made a mistake by what I had said?
"You were my advisor before I chose you as king, Jorah." Khaleesi said after a moment's thought. "I don't want to wait a moment more before leaving to reclaim the Iron Throne for my House. I believe my troops to be rested enough and my children more than eager to return to King's Landing. Yet your words remind me that haste is not always the wisest decision. You were born in the North so that is where I will marry you. But after our wedding we will be leaving for King's Landing."
My love's voice was both calm and calculating. She was compromising as much as she was willing to. We would be in King's Landing much too soon and yet she was willing to wait for a short time. Unfortunately there was no room left for me to argue. If I said anything against her now Sansa would see we weren't a united front. If she ever thought Khaleesi should be overthrown, I couldn't be seen as the pawn to be manipulated in such matters.
"House Stark will be honored to hold your wedding in Winterfell." Sansa said as if she held only kindness in her heart. "There is enough food and wine to satisfy the wedding you deserve. Anything you need for such an event, merely call on me."
Sansa was not an unfeeling person, but she was also not one of the smallfolk. Her birth and life had forced her to become a politician that sometimes had to hide behind a mask. A mask so well fashioned that even I couldn't tell her true reaction to Khaleesi refusing her offer.
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